How Does Pre-Speech Development Help Your Baby Talk?

When your baby starts making those first “goo” and “ba-ba” sounds, they are practicing for first words and beyond. Those sweet sounds are the building blocks of speech, and long before they surprise everyone with their first real word, they’re already hard at work developing the skills they need to talk.

Pre-speech development includes cooing, babbling, pointing, and just making sounds. As you’ll see, even peek-a-boo games play their part. These early skills and experiences set the stage for everything that comes next.

What is Pre-Speech Development?

Pre-speech development starts from birth. Babies soon learn to use their voices, faces, and gestures to communicate with parents and caregivers. Think of it as practice time for real talking.

Here’s what that looks like:

Cooing and Babbling

“Aah” and “ooh” sounds are often the first ones our baby makes. That’s cooing. It usually starts around 2-3 months. After about 6-7 months, cooing becomes babbling. Babies start repeating sounds like “ba-ba-ba” or “ma-ma-ma.” How cute! But it’s important too, building up the muscles needed for speech.

Gestures

Before babies can say “I want that,” they point. They wave bye-bye. They reach up when they want to be held. These gestures are real communication and it shows your baby understands how actions can send messages. (Babies often start using gestures like pointing and waving around 9-12 months.)

Imitation

Even simple games like peek-a-boo can help your baby learn and show you easy signs of progress. Watch your baby try to copy your facial expressions. They might attempt to mimic your sounds too. In peek-a-boo, baby is learning and practicing the back-and-forth of conversation.

Sound Play

Does your baby blow raspberries? Squeal with delight? As they do these everyday actions, they are practicing different pitches and volumes. By age one, most children can produce many different consonant and vowel sounds during play, sounds they will need in forming full words and, later, sentences.

Why These Early Skills Matter

The first three years of life are special. Your child’s brain is growing faster than it ever will again. The areas that control language and communication are among the fastest growing.

When babies practice pre-speech skills—even pointing, cooing, and imitating—learning that communication gets results. They’re discovering the joy of connecting.

Missing these early milestones can signal potential challenges ahead. For example, a baby who doesn’t babble much by 9 months might need extra support. Early help can make a big difference. It’s easier to build skills from the start than to catch up later.

Research shows that babies who get early support when they experience communication delays often do better in school. They have fewer frustrations. They connect more easily with friends and family. That’s why watching for these early signs matters so much.

Simple Ways to Support Pre-Speech at Home

You don’t need special tools or training to help your baby develop pre-speech skills. The best activities are often easy ones too. Here are practical ways to encourage early communication:

Talk Through Your Day

Talk about what you’re doing as you go about daily tasks. “Now we’re putting on your soft blue shirt.” “Let’s wash your hands with warm water.” Your baby is listening and learning, even when they can’t respond yet.

Make Play Time Talk Time

When playing with toys, add sounds and simple words. Make the toy car go “vroom.” Have the teddy bear say “hi.” Copy the sounds your baby makes. If they say “ba,” you say “ba” back. This teaches the give-and-take of conversation.

Read Together Every Day

You don’t have to finish the whole book. Let your baby touch the pages. Point to pictures and name them. Use different voices for characters. The rhythm and sounds of reading help babies learn language patterns. (Remember, they don’t have to study at this age, their brain is just growing into it as you help.)

Sing Songs and Nursery Rhymes

Music and rhyme help build a foundation for language. Simple songs like “Twinkle, Twinkle” or “Pat-a-Cake” are perfect. Add hand movements when you can. Don’t worry about your singing voice—your baby thinks you sound wonderful.

Respond to Their Communication Attempts

When your baby points at something, name it. When they babble, act like you understand. Say things like “Oh, you’re telling me about your toy!” This shows them their attempts to communicate are important to you.

Use Family Photos

Show your baby pictures of family members. Say their names. Talk about what’s happening in the photos. Babies love looking at familiar faces, and it’s a great way to practice names and words.

Create Communication Opportunities

Put a favorite toy just out of reach. Wait for your baby to gesture or vocalize for it. Then respond right away. This teaches them that communication gets results.

When to Seek Support

Every child develops at their own pace. But certain signs suggest it might be time to talk with your pediatrician or seek an evaluation:

• A lack of diverse consonant and vowel sounds by 12 months.
• No gestures like pointing or waving by 12 months
• No attempts to imitate sounds by 12 months
• Limited variety in sounds during play
• Not responding to their name by 12 months
• Loss of previously gained skills

Trust your instincts. If something doesn’t feel right about your child’s pre-speech development, ask for help. Early support can make a tremendous difference.

How Early Intervention Can Help

Early intervention services support the whole family. Trained professionals work with you and your child to build communication skills naturally. Services might include:

• Speech therapy to encourage babbling and sound play
• Developmental therapy using play-based activities
• Pre-speech skills
• Parent coaching to help you support communication at home
• Regular check-ins to track progress

The goal is always to help your child communicate in ways that work for them. Sometimes that means speech. Sometimes it includes gestures or other methods too. What matters most is connection and understanding.

Early Intervention Therapies

If you have questions about your child’s development, feel free to call TEIS Early Intervention at 412-217-8347 or ask your pediatrician about how you can get an Early Intervention evaluation. If your child qualifies for services, you can request TEIS Early Intervention to be your child’s provider.

At TEIS Early Intervention, our therapists listen to your concerns, assess your child’s individual needs, develop a customized treatment plan, and coach you along the way with simple, routine-based solutions to maximize your child’s development in their natural environment.

Early intervention evaluations and therapy services are available under the Federal Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities. Before services can begin, an independent evaluation of your child must be completed. To ensure impartiality, one agency provides evaluation services while another offers therapeutic services.

To schedule an evaluation, call 1-800-692-7288 or email to help@connectpa.net