Parents provide the means of learning language Brain development information simply reinforces much of what early childhood experts have been suggesting for years. The development of language is tremendously influenced by parent-child interactions. In the first year, it is important to talk, sing, and read to the baby often so he can learn the sounds of his native language. In addition to learning the sounds of speech, during the first six months a child s brain begins to learn which mouth movements go with the sounds. Cooing, and then babbling are milestones in language acquisition.
Babies like to mimic what they hear.
By speaking to the child and imitating the child s sounds, a parent not only teaches the child sound patterns but encourages taking turns, a process necessary for conversation. Studies have shown that children whose parents spoke to them more often know many more words by age two and scored higher on standardized tests by age three than those whose parents did not. In the second year of life, the brain organizes the connections for language when the child sees pictures in a book and hears the parent give names for the pictures simultaneously. Parents and other primary caregivers can help language development at this age by reciting nursery rhymes, songs, and poems throughout the day. Activities such as using a mirror to point out and name facial features are also helpful at this age.