the importance of talking to your baby

the difference in total words heard by babies and its effects on their development is startling. for quite some time we have known there exists a gap in academic levels between children in the 3 main socioeconomic classes (poor, working-class, professional). and many theories have been suggested, too much lead? lack of self-control? high-stress? lack of reading? studies from the recent decades has shown that the answer may be easier than thought: talking.

Another idea, however, is creeping into the policy debate: that the key to early learning is talking — specifically, a child’s exposure to language spoken by parents and caretakers from birth to age 3, the more the better. It turns out, evidence is showing, that the much-ridiculed stream of parent-to-child baby talk — Feel Teddy’s nose! It’s so soft! Cars make noise — look, there’s a yellow one! Baby feels hungry? Now Mommy is opening the refrigerator! — is very, very important.

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/10/the-power-of-talking-to-your-baby/

The studies show that poor babies may only hear about 600 words per hour, while working-class babies might hear 1,200 words/hour, and professional families around 2,100 words/hour. “by age three, a poor child would have heard 30 million fewer words.”

Why such a difference? It may be as simple as the fact that those parents were not aware of the importance of talking to their babies. They may have less access to the latest information, books, and rely more on family and friends for parenting advice.

heard somewhere else something somewhat similar: talk to your kids like they are twice in age, talk to a one yr old like he’s two, a three year old like they’re six, four:eight, etc.

goo goo, ga ga!

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