In another post, Eats, Talks and Reads, I talked about research that dinner table conversation can make more difference to literacy that reading to children. Well, here is more research that takes the importance of talking to children further.
Here’s the article – How to Raise Verbal Children: Why talking to your kids is one of the most important investments you can make in their future. Make sure you listen closely to the audio because it includes some really pertinent comments about the influences of various academic fields.
Like the dinner table theories it addresses how we talk to children not just that we talk to them. When children grow up witnessing and being part of real conversations, they learn how to participate. They learn the vocabulary, they learn listening, they learn turn-taking. They learn these from adults talking with them not at them. It means pausing and listening to what they have to say even when they are too young to say anything. You can hold a conversation with a day-old baby, making eye contact, telling them about what’s happening, smiling, nodding, making facial expressions. They are the most uncritical and appreciative audience you will ever have.
There is some irony in people being able to have a conversation with a cat or dog, but being unable to have a conversation with a baby.
There is some irony in people being able to have a conversation with a cat or dog, but being unable to have a conversation with a baby.
When we talk through our reasons for the practical and moral decisions we make, we model logical processes that children can learn to use themselves.
How we talk to them not only reflects and reinforces our relationship with them, it affects our own moods, attitudes and feelings.
