The ability to learn a spoken language without formal training is one of the most astonishing (and defining) human characteristics. That doesn’t mean you can’t help the process along a little with your kids.
Picture by seandreilinger
Our sibling publication Babble has a useful roundup of the latest research on how parents can help their kids with language acquisition. The big conclusion? Bombarding your kids with sophisticated vocabulary isn’t useful:
The most important lesson from the newest science is this: the central role of the parent is not to push massive amounts of language into the baby’s ears. Rather, the central role of the parent is to notice what’s coming from the baby, and to respond accordingly.
Hit the post for the full range of suggestions, then tell us: what tactics worked (or failed) for you when helping your kids? Let’s hear ’em in the comments.
Jump Start Language Skills [Babble]
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