Language development in babies is one of the most magical parts of parenting. Many parents remember the first word and first sentence. Honestly, with two sets of twins, I can barely remember my keys in the morning! But, the first words are impressed in my mind forever—cookie, dada, paci, ball, my four pookies’ first words.
Talking to children (or singing if you have a stellar voice like I do) is one of the most important parts of language progression. In this post, we are going to explore WHY talking to babies is so important.
Here are some interesting facts about why talking to your baby is important:
- The sensitivity to sound varies from baby to baby. Some babies are not bothered by loud noises, and some are upset by certain sounds. By talking to your baby and getting to know his/her likes and dislikes in tons, volume and pace of speech, you’re going to best match what works best.
- Babies love human voices (usually calm and low tone). Being a New Yorker (No comments please! I love being a New Yorker!), I have quite a few loud friends! It is amazing to see the transformation in mommies and daddies who all of a sudden goo and coo and sing in quiet voices. Somehow our intuition kicks in knowing what babies will respond to.
- Babies learn about language through imitation. Babies learn to communicate through hearing (and never underestimate what your child can hear!) the sounds around them.
- We’ve already discussed the stages of language development on the One Sassy Doctor blog. It’s important for parents to be aware of these ranges if there is ever concern for delayed development. Early intervention and recognition is super important!
Next week, we’re going to give some examples of how to expose your little one to language every day.
One Sassy Doctor suggests:
One Sassy Doctor suggests:
