Communication in Babies (What is my baby saying?)

By Uche Chidike-Okoro

Crying is the primary mode of communication in babies. It can indicate hunger, discomfort, tiredness or the need for a diaper change. Interestingly, there are different types of cries that indicate different needs, parents tend to differentiate these cries over time. Babbling is a very common form of communication for 4 -6 month old babies. They usually produce repetitive syllables like ‘’ba-ba’’, ‘’da-da’’, ‘’ma-ma’’ or ‘’ga-ga’’. Babbling is a very vital precursor to speech development as it helps babies practice the sounds and rhythms of language

Eye contact and facial expression are interesting ways babies communicate Sounds funny right? They engage in eye contact and respond to facial expressions from a very young age. Babies often mimic their parent/caregiver’s expressions and use eye contact to establish a connection and communicate their needs and emotions

Smiling is one cue I like so much. Babies typically begin to smile socially, meaning they smile in response to interaction with others, around 6-8 weeks of age. Smiling is an important way for babies to communicate their happiness and connect with their caregivers

It is important for parents/caregivers to be patient, attentive and responsive to a baby’s communication attempts. By actively engaging and providing a nurturing environment, caregivers support the baby’s communication development, laying the foundation for language acquisition and social interaction.

"Babies cannot and do not manipulate They communicate. Listen!”

Uche Okoro is a veteran educator with expertise in early years education and was recently appointed as the West African Champion/ Assessor at International Quality Mark (IQM). She is currently heading an international school in Abuja, Nigeria. She is a seasoned early years trainer who has vast knowledge of the intricacies of adopting the British Early Years Framework, which she is well acquainted with and has had several trainings on how the curriculum can be adopted in Nigerian schools. Uche has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from the University of Abuja and a Post Graduate Diploma in Education. She also has an Early Childhood diploma from the Open University, Australia and is a registered Teacher in Nigeria.

She is the Program Coordinator of the Teacher Development Program and the founder of ‘The EYFS Hub’, an educational platform with the objective to change the narrative of the Nigerian Education sector. She has training in Special Education, Safeguarding, Early Childhood Development and Administration, Curriculum Instruction, Teacher Leadership, amongst others Uche has participated in the Nurturing Program to help improve student wellbeing. She is passionate about keeping children safe in education and is very experienced in how this can be effective within an African context.