Does Singing Help Baby Talk? How Rhymes and Songs Support Language Development

• Babies learn how to communicate long before they can say their first words by listening to you and watching how you talk.

• Research shows that rhythmic speech is especially important for helping babies learn language in the early months.

• Encourage language development by singing nursery rhymes, using a sing-song voice when talking, and narrating your day.

From the moment Baby is born, they are already learning, and that includes how to communicate! Their brain is busy making new neural connections as they take in the world around them.

They're listening to you, watching how you talk, and starting to understand the rhythm and sounds of speech long before they can say their first word. A big way they learn how language works is through singing and rhyming in the early months!

Why Rhyming and Singing Help Babies Learn to Talk

You may hear a lot about how best to teach your baby to communicate with you. Studies have shown that rhythmic speech, including sing-song patterns and nursery rhymes, may be the primary way babies learn language in the first few months of life. In fact, some findings show that some babies can process rhythmic speech as early as 2 months old! Researchers believe that the rise and fall in tone and emphasis on different syllables during rhythmic speech help babies predict how words start and end, a key part of language development!

So how can you use rhythmic speech with your little one? Try out these fun ways to communicate with Baby.

How to Use Rhythmic Speech to Encourage Language Development

Sing Nursery Rhymes to Baby

Nursery rhymes are the songs you know and love from childhood. These songs are perfect for little ones because they have repetitive word patterns, soothing melodies, and help with learning concepts such as counting. These songs are not just beneficial in the first year of life, but all the early years! You can sing these nursery rhymes to Baby when you play together or when you’re soothing them as they go to sleep.

Use a Sing-Song Voice When Speaking to Baby

This type of talking goes by a lot of different names, including “infant-directed talk,” “baby talk,” or “parentese”. It is when a parent or caregiver changes their speech to make more melodic or exaggerated sounds. For many people, this type of talk comes naturally when they interact with a baby. Many studies have shown this helps with baby language development and getting Baby’s attention. Do this while face-to-face with Baby or during Tummy Time for even more benefits!

Narrate Your Day

Narrating your day is a fun and easy way to expose little ones to language. Follow tips like emphasizing syllables or new words, speaking slowly, or singing songs and having fun with sounds while talking about what you are doing throughout the day.

Watch this video for tips on how to narrate your day to Baby:

Don’t Wait to Sing or Talk to Baby!

It might feel a little silly to sing or talk to a baby who is just a few days or weeks old—but it all makes a difference! Baby is always listening and learning from you, so the earlier you start singing or talking to them, the better.