A report in the Proceedings of The National Academy of Sciences says that when babies enter the babbling stage they actually become lip readers.
They focus their attention on the mouths of speakers until they master the basic speech forms.
The new research offers more evidence that quality face-time with your tot is very important for speech development.
The report also has researchers asking if babies who turn out to have developmental disorders, including autism, learn to speak the same way or if they show differences that might provide an early warning sign.
