Conversation Teaches Children More Than You Know

     It’s natural to go ga-ga over your newborn and that’s perfectly fine! The more you read to, sing to and talk to your baby, the more that little brain will absorb. Studies show children will have larger vocabularies and better grammar when you spend time simply using your voice.

   As you go about your day, keep up the chatter. As you cook, explain what you are doing: “I am filling the pot with water to make your macaroni and cheese. Then I will turn on this oven, which you should not touch because it’s hot, to heat up your fish sticks!”

     Play music and sing and dance as you do. When you talk to your child, you support her language development. Another helpful approach is to think about what you are saying from your infant’s or toddler’s point of view. How will your little one interpret your words?

    Just for fun, imagine some guidance from your little one. If she could talk, she might say:

     “When I point to something, tell me what it is. While you are telling me, look at it and point to it too. Use a gesture along with the word you say, so that I can say it too. If you tell me it is time to eat, tap your lips. I can imitate the gesture and tell you when I’m hungry. (Many babies can learn sign language easily!)

     Talk to me about what you are doing. Tell me what will happen next, so I will know what to expect. And talk to me about what I am doing. Using words to describe my actions and feelings helps me learn those words, too.

     Take turns chatting back and forth with me.  Listen to what I am saying—then imitate my coos or babbles.  If I’m older, you can reply to my questions and ask your own.  I like open-ended questions that don’t have right or wrong answers.

     Model bigger and better sentences. If I say, “Two cat,” you can say, “You have two cats on your shirt!”  I learn a lot from you.

     Sing with me.  It’s easier to learn words in songs.  I can learn about rhymes, the ABC song, the colors of my clothing and the names of my friends.

     Take me to the library. Read me a book, let me decide how you do it and when we are done—even if we’re not at the end of the book. (Story times are a wonderful diversion, and many libraries have their schedules online.)

     Let me mouth board books, handle them and decide which to explore. Check out the thrift store and buy me a few board books. Be sure to wipe them with a damp cloth. At home, attach felt tabs to them, and I will be able to turn the pages more easily, all by myself.

     Make books about me. When I see myself in a book, I will learn that books can be about things in my life.

     Show me the words on things. When you point out words in books and on containers, I begin to understand how printed and spoken words are connected.

    Be playful while I learn. I like to ask you what shape the cookie cutter alphabet has made.  

You can say, “You made the letter L,” or ask, “I wonder what letter you made?” It’s less fun to be asked, “What’s this?” 

      Give me time to learn and explore.  There’s no rush to learn the names of colors, letters and objects. I will learn them in my own time.

     When your child starts playing with other kids, you will be tempted to compare, but just keep working with words. My daughter had a little friend who was not as developed as she was, and her mother actually kept her out of kindergarten a year so she could catch up. I felt bad about this, and we had a conversation about it. Her daughter was more of a doer, as in playing sports, riding horses and such. My daughter, who had a mother read to her, sing to her and give her books, was more of a thinking child. I recall when the new Harry Potter book came out, she had a slumber party and invited a group of friends over to read all night. They would call out when they were on a new chapter.

     Reading is a lifelong joy, and you can instill that love early. You are the ultimate teacher for your child. Enjoy the ride!

Helpful Tips

From birth to 2 years, here are some simple tips:

• Say sounds like “ma, da and ba” and have your baby say them back to you.
• Look at your baby when she makes sounds and pretend to have a conversation.
• Make the same face your baby makes.
• Clap and play peek-a-boo. The sillier the better!
• Bath time is a great time to talk, as is mealtime and getting dressed. Explain everything.
• Point out colors and shapes constantly and count things you see.
• Use gestures broadly, like waving and pointing.
• Talk about animal sounds: The dog says woof-woof, the cow says moooo, the cat says meow!
• When your baby says “Mama,” answer him. “Here is Mama, Mama loves you. Where is Baby? Here is Baby!”
• Read, read, read! Choose books with large colorful pictures. Make books available all over your house, all the time!

Sources: NAEYC.org, ASHA.org

Judy Goppert lives in Lee’s Summit. She enjoys drawing on her personal experiences to writes about the nuances of everything wonderful about life.