The day my baby said "dog" — and what came before it

Parents come into my clinic worried about first words. "She's 14 months and she's not saying anything!" Often the parent is sitting with a baby who is, in fact, saying everything — just not with words yet.

Babies talk for months before they "talk"

By six months, most babies are already taking turns in "conversation" — they coo, you reply, they coo back. By nine months, most can read your facial expressions. By twelve, most are pointing at things they want you to see. This is called *joint attention* and it predicts language development better than almost anything else (Tomasello, 2003).

The word is the tip of the iceberg.

What helps, what doesn't

What helps: - **Naming what they look at.** They point, you name. Boring. Effective. - **Pausing.** After you say something, wait. Count to five in your head. Babies need processing time. - **Singing the same songs.** Repetition + melody = sticky.

What doesn't help (sorry): - Vocabulary apps in the first 18 months. The 2020 *Journal of Pediatrics* meta-analysis found no measurable benefit. - Talking faster, louder, or in baby-voice for too long. After about 12 months, switch to normal-cadence speech.

When to actually worry

If by 18 months a child isn't pointing at things to share interest (not just to request), or has fewer than 5–10 words by 18 months, talk to your pediatrician. Most kids who are "behind" at 18 months catch up by 24. Some don't, and that's worth a screen — it's never too early.

— Eleni