The three pillars of language acquisition
Language nourishes the early childhood brain. That's why it's important that parents talk to their toddlers and babies as much as possible - but the way they do this also matters, as the latest research shows. The main pillars of the Thirty Million Words Initiative are therefore the «three T's», recommendations on how parents can create optimal language stimuli:
1st Tune In: Tune in to the child
Observe what your baby or toddler is interested in and talk to them about it, even if they don't understand your words yet. Sometimes the child will quickly change their focus - allow them to do so. Perhaps after two minutes the child will no longer be interested in the book you are looking at together and will start stacking blocks instead. Encourage them in their new game and comment on it.
«When parents take over the child's focus during play instead of directing their attention to something else,» says Dana Suskind, «this stimulates the development of their brain. They can process the learning experience without having to spend energy switching to another, less interesting activity.»
Talk to your baby from day one.
2. talk more: talk more
Talk to your baby from day one. Tell him what you are doing at the moment, when changing, feeding or bathing. «These conversations sound crazy to outsiders,» laughs Suskind, «but they are important. The child will gradually memorise the sounds you say and eventually put them together.»
Tell the baby what it is holding in its hand, explain to it what the object is for and look together to see where other things are hidden. When it reaches out to you, ask it if it wants to be picked up before you take it in your arms. Eventually he will make the connection between word and gesture. If the child is practising one-word sentences, for example saying «ball», show your pleasure and expand his word into a sentence: «You want to play with the ball?» «By expanding his words, enriching them or even using them in a different context,» says Suskind, «parents encourage their child to communicate in even more detail. They make them want to use language.»
3. take turns: pay attention to reciprocity
Encourage your child to communicate with you. However, this requires that you can also wait for their reaction or answer. Children who are learning to speak often take a while to think of the right word. Resist the temptation to anticipate it, otherwise you may nip the parent-child exchange in the bud. Also, ask your child questions that they can't simply answer with a yes or no, rather focus on «how» and «why». «Open-ended questions don't just build your child's vocabulary, they also tend to keep the conversation going,» says Suskind. «They're also a great way to get the conversation going in the first place.»
