News Psychology

Babies lip-read before talking

Babblers focus on adults’ mouths when learning how to speak

By Bruce Bower

- More than 2 years ago

When adults mouth off, babies learn by watching. As infants start babbling at around age 6 months in preparation for talking, they shift from focusing on adults’ eyes to paying special attention to speakers’ mouths, a new study finds.

GIMME LIP A new study finds that babies read the lips of talking adults starting at around age 6 months and then switch to focusing on adults’ eyes at age 1, when tots begin to talk.