Cooing

What’s happening

Cooing — the early vowel sounds like 'ooh' and 'aah' — is the first real back-and-forth: your baby makes a sound, you respond, and that turn-taking is the foundation language builds on. It usually shows up alongside more smiling and eye contact, part of the same wave of early social engagement.

How to support it

• Respond to every coo like it's a real sentence — pause, look at them, and 'reply.'
• Narrate ordinary moments out loud; babies are listening long before they're talking.
• Leave gaps after you talk — the pause is what invites them to 'answer' back.