12month old humming the "tune" of short phrases but not attempting words

[Southwestwhippet]

Just wondered if anyone else had come across this. My DD is 12mths, she has a couple of 'words' - dad, mama, tag (our dog)... that sort of thing and not particularly clear. she is also doing lots of babbling in the 'tune' of speach. All normal, no concern.

But what I'm wondering about is that she also 'sings/hums' the tune of words/phrases/songs without any of the constenants or vowels. So when she wants milk she signs 'milk' accompanied by a "hmm, hmm" tune which is how I say 'milk please' when I'm encouraging her to talk. Same for "thank you" and for "drink please".

She also "hmmmms" rhymnes that she knows, echoing the tune and rhythm of the song without attempting the actual words. We did sing and sign for two terms and she does know a few signs which was how I realised she was 'singing' the songs (recognised the signs!)

Has anyone else come across this and how did language develop from it? I wasn't worried, but my brother who is studying speach language therapy said he had not heard of this so now I'm wondering if it is a bit weird.

thanks

I am not an expert, but from my experience your DD sounds fine.

My DS is a similar age and I've noticed the same in him.

I just chalked it up to him getting his head around the rhythm and form of our accent in preparation for when he starts to speak properly, iyswim.

Sometimes he says "hiya" when he sees someone, and other times if someone says it to him he makes a noise which is almost a copy of the tone and inflection of their voice. Like he's learning to speak by hearing and repeating words, but also by making noise and hmms to the tone of our voice.

Hope that makes sense.

If you're really worried then maybe you could ask around a bit more to other mums here or in RL, or ask your HV.

Again not an expert but my friends 2 year old still doessomething similar and her peech is pretty good.
She seemstouse it to fill in words and phrases she doesn't know how to actually say yet and now at the age she is the word comes very quickly (days later)

I always found it wuite funny when she would come up and say things like "mummy got a hmm-hmm-huuuugggh." and then have to translate the rest of it.

Thanks, glad to hear we are not alone. It is pretty cute actually, but wouldn't want it to replace actual talking longterm IYKWIM!

We have a rhyme from sing and sign that goes

Rolly polly ever so slowly, Rolly polly.... [said slowly]
ever so fast [said quickly]

she hmmm-hmmms the slow bit then growls the fast bit which is very cute - obviously immitating how my voice changes when I say the fast bit

I'm not speaking from any knowledge or experience, but I wonder if she'll turn out to be musical.

It's N important part of learning to communicate, learning intonation. Not sure it has anything to do with musicality. Although ds who didn't speak words till he was 2.2 was always good at grasping intonation. He is also good a singing. He is now 3.

DD is 1.9 and does't have many words, 12 months isn't a worry for words.

Ds could sing before he could talk. He would sit there in his high chair, singing the tune foor Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, while doing the accompanying actions. This was probably at about 14 months, but he didn't begin to talk until 16 months, and then only about 3 words until 19 months, when his speech really took off.

He also sometimes used to do rhythms of words -e.g. mm - uh - uh for cucumber.

He is now 10, has an extremely good vocabulary and never shuts up is a good conversationalist....

DS (now almost 7yo) sang very recognisable versions of several nursery rhymes, starting when he was about 1yo, very very cute.
Unfortunately he did have speech delay. And is not the least bit musical.

DS has a speech delay and he did that too. But I learned that intonation and rythm of speech develops in a different part of the brain as actual speech. THey connect but they can develop at different rates. For most children they'll develop at the same time but in many cases the tune of speech will develop much earlier than the actual formation of words. DS could 'sing' and 'tune' words and sentences well before he said anything.

Really interesting, thanks everyone.

I shall enjoy the quiet humming before the words begin. LOL