Tips for families using spoken language:

There are lots of good times to talk about the names for things. Be sure your child’s hearing aid or cochlear implant is working. Get on your child’s level, if possible (e.g., join her on the floor; sit his pumpkin seat close to you on the couch).

Notice what your baby reaches for. If she reaches for toes, talk about toes. If she chews on a hat, talk about that!

You can encourage your baby to listen to the word, and then look and listen in natural ways.Suppose you notice baby is hungry. You can say, “Listen, what’s in daddy’s bag?” (dad shakes the crackers). “Oh, I have crackers! (then bring them into baby and dad’s line of vision). Crackers, see? You want a cracker? Yes, you are excited!”

Everything has a name. Remind family members to name things that interest baby.It is easy for us to fall into a habit of using “it” (put it in). When baby is first learning words, use names instead (put the block in).

Tips for families who are signing:
If your baby depends on vision, then remember that you have to wait for the baby to look at the object first. Then, you can do some of the things that Deaf parents do to call attention to the names of the objects.

• You can make the sign on the object itself. Your baby's eyes are already there, or they soon will be if you are signing there.
• You can produce the sign for the object your baby is looking at, as soon as the baby looks at you for information.
• You can point to something interesting, and, if your baby pays attention, name the object.
• You can move interesting objects into your baby's field of vision to attract attention.
• You can move so that your baby can see you easily

If you are using sign language with your baby, then you will find that the trick is to keep up with all the names your baby wants to know. That seems like an overwhelming task at first, but it really isn't. Babies will want to know the same thing many times. At the beginning of language development, they need to see or hear a word hundreds of times before they really know it. That gives you a chance to practice. Remember that you know your baby well. If you pay attention to the things that are interesting, and that are often in your baby's field of vision, you will know the names to learn. If you know what your baby often does, and feels, and tastes, and hears, then those are the words to look up and practice right away. If you don't quite remember, make a list!