Talk to Me, Baby!

Building your child’s vocabulary is an important part of learning to read in the future. Studies show that the number of words and range of vocabulary heard by a child in their early years can have a dramatic effect on their language skills. John Medina, the author of Brain Rules for Baby: How to Raise a Smart and Happy Child from Zero to Five, says that kids spoken to more frequently in their first three years have an IQ that’s one and a half times higher than those who aren't.

The easiest way to build vocabulary is to talk to your child as much as possible, but what do you talk about? The answer is anything! Anything and everything that you see, hear, or do you can describe to your child. Remember, they don’t know what anything is yet! Make sure to describe the things you’re doing in detail. Are you peeling an orange? What does it feel like? How does it smell? What colors do you see? How does it taste? Talking out loud may feel silly at first, but soon you’ll fall into a routine and your child will respond as they grow.

Guest post by Sarah H.