Sound Imitation Play
Parent engages baby in vocal back-and-forth by making vowel and early consonant sounds and waiting for baby to respond. The agent coaches the parent to notice early vocalizations, sound imitation attempts, and the beginnings of babbling.
Opens a guided voice session in TogetherTime.
What you'll need
Baby should be awake, alert, and calm. Face-to-face positioning, about 12 inches apart. Quiet environment with minimal background noise.
How it works
- 1~30s
Look right at your child and make a long, clear vowel sound — try 'ahhh' or 'ohhh.' Hold it for a couple of seconds, then pause and wait. Give your child about 10 seconds to respond. You might hear a little 'eh,' 'ah,' or even a coo. Or you might see their mouth move as if trying to make a sound. Tell me what happens when you try this.
Watch for: Baby makes vowel-like sounds such as 'eh,' 'ah,' or 'oh' in response to parent's vocalizations.
- 2~30s
Now let's try some deeper, back-of-the-throat sounds. Say 'gah' or 'goo' to your child, nice and slow, with a big smile. These guttural sounds are some of the first consonants babies experiment with. Make the sound a few times and then pause. Does your child try to make any sounds that have that deeper, throaty quality? Even a 'guh' or 'grrr' counts! What do you hear?
Watch for: Baby produces guttural or back-of-throat sounds like 'ga,' 'gu,' 'goo,' showing early consonant production.
- 3~40s
For our last round, I want you to have a real 'conversation' with your child. Make a sound — any sound your child seems to like — then pause and wait. When your child makes a sound back, respond with enthusiasm. 'Oh, you said goo! Goo goo!' Then wait again. Try to do three or four rounds of this back-and-forth. Does your child seem to understand the rhythm of taking turns? Tell me how the conversation goes.
Watch for: Baby participates in vocal turn-taking — vocalizing after parent speaks, creating a proto-conversational rhythm.