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From babbling and burbling to chittering and chattering, tuning in to the sounds of your child as they experiment with speech and language is one of the greatest joys of parenthood. Every child develops at their own pace with the second and third children often trailing behind their older siblings on the speech and language ladder for one very good reason – why bother talking when you have someone else to do it for you !

You can access numerous websites aimed at helping parents help children develop their speech and language including the NHS and NCT. Much of the advice is common sense but they also offer reassurance for those parents who are concerned their children are not the right stage of development for their age.

Here are some tips for parents of babies at those critical stages of child development but once again remember every child is different.

0-6 months

Hold your baby close and look at them as you talk to them. Chat about what you're doing as you feed, change and bathe them, sing to them as well as talking in a sing-song voice to keep your baby’s attention. Repeat the sounds your baby makes back to them – this teaches your baby lessons about listening and taking turns in a conversation.

6-12 months

Name and point to things you can both see and start looking at books with your baby – you do not have to read the words on the page, just talk about what you can see. Play games like "peek-a-boo" and "round and round the garden". This teaches your baby important skills like taking turns, paying attention, and listening. Let your child take the lead and point to what they are interested in to help them understand and memorise the words they use to name or describe the item

12-18 months

If your child is trying to say a word but gets it wrong, say the word properly. For example, if they point to a cat and say "Ca!" you should respond with, "Yes, it's a cat". Do not criticise or tell them off for getting the word wrong. Increase your child's vocabulary by giving them choices, such as, "Do you want an apple or a banana?". Use toys and books that make a noise to help your child's listening skills and sing nursery rhymes and songs together as your baby grows, especially those with actions, such as "Pat-a-cake", "Row, row, row your boat" and "Wind the bobbin up". Doing the actions helps your child to remember the words.

18-24 months

Repeat words, for example, "Where are your shoes?", "Are you wearing blue shoes today?" and "Let's put your shoes on". Repetition helps your child to remember words. Use simple instructions such as "Get your coat" or '"Shut the door". Keeping instructions short and simple will help your child understand. Try asking "Where's your..." – ask your child to point to their ear, nose, foot, and so on. Limit your child's daily TV time - playing and listening to stories is more helpful when they're learning to talk. If they say a word, try to add to it and turn it into a short sentence. Repeat what they said with one extra detail or a more complete structure. If you child says, “Dog!” You can say, “Yes, big dog!” If your child says, “Coo moo” You can say, “Cow goes moo!” Expansion of words and sentences in this way is an easy tool to help expand your child’s vocabulary.