|
|
| Baby talk: the importance of early conversation |
|
|
|
Learning to talk is a skill that begins at birth. By the age of two, most babies have a vocabulary broad enough to begin to construct sentences and express their needs. However, a recent report has shed light on just how important this early conversation is for babies from birth to age three.
This essential parent – child interaction builds the foundation for early literacy and language acquisition, as well as nurturing emotional and social wellbeing.
A study by Meredith Rowe, associate professor and education psychologist at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, discovered that on average, by three years old children in low-income families heard 30 million fewer words, than children in upper-income families. Yet she believes that it's not just about quantity of words that influences language acquisition, but the quality and diversity of these words that are used.
This study backs up the findings of Betty Hart and Todd Risley, in their book Meaningful Differences in the Everyday Experience of Young American Children where each month they recorded an hour of conversation at the homes of 42 families – categorised as welfare, working class or professional.
By the age of three, the vocabulary of those children in welfare families was smaller than those of professional families, with a difference of almost 300 words per hour. Following up at age 9, the study found that early language experience was closely linked to differences in child outcomes.
Before panicking and sitting your baby down for a two-hour chat, note that parents don't need to aim for a set number of words a day. Paediatricians Meredith Rowe and Barry Zuckerman, Boston Medical Centre recommend that parents should instead "focus on finding time for even brief, high-quality, loving interactions."
But what do these interactions look like, and what are the early stages of language development?
Birth–6 months
Infant-directed speech (also known as "motherese") is a primary communication tool in the early months, in which exaggerated sounds and facial expressions capture an infant's attention. Simply talk and sing to baby – he will listen to your voice try to mimic the sounds you make by making coos and gurgles. By responding to a baby's babbling a parent can set the foundations for language and form a bond with the child. Include him in conversations when others are near, so he can begin to understand the back-and-forth interchange of conversation.
6–9 months
Baby will begin to play with sounds, often repetitive such as dada, mama, baba. By asking questions, such as "Where is teddy?" you can introduce intonation and further conversations.
9–12 months
Baby begins to understand simple words, such as "yes", "no", "mama". She will begin to point and make sounds to communicate what she wants, and will also begin to attribute gestures to words – waving to "bye bye", arms lifted to "up".
12–18 months
Baby will begin to identify items with words, such as milk, cup, ball, and car. Babies at this age are incredibly receptive, learning best from social interaction, with real objects or pictures. Pointing and gesturing is also very important at this age. When baby identifies a word, extend it into a conversation: "You see the car, well done! What colour is it?" And begin to include them in decision-making conversations: "Do you want the blue shirt or the red shirt?"
18–24 months
Baby can begin to put words together to form sentences: "want ball", "more milk". Engage child in extending those sentences, "You would like some more milk?" "Which ball would you like? The big ball or the small ball?" Pretend play is also a fantastic vocabulary builder, creating situations and environments to introduce new words and locations, from zoo and moon to shopkeeper and ambulance.
This is also a great opportunity to introduce numbers: "How many books do you have?" or "Let's find two socks". Open-ended questions also are a great way to introduce more words, avoiding simple yes or no answers. "Where do you think the butterfly is going?" And ask questions about the stories you read together: "What do you think the Gruffalo likes for breakfast?"
Parent – child interaction can now move into having more solid conversations, including past and present, and introducing why, what and how.
24–36 months
As their vocabulary grows, parents can begin to interchange alternative or more specific words in conversation: van/truck, stick/twig/branch, and add in locations: above, below, left, right. You can also begin to discuss shared experiences in depth and introduce more questions into conversation: "What was your favourite thing at the park?" Reading will also spur on language development, sharing books together and also beginning to read picture books alone and with peers.
|
|
|
|
|
