Common advice to new mums is that the more words a baby hears, the faster they are at developing their vocabulary. However, new findings show that a child’s vocabulary depends a lot more on the style of speech rather than the quantity of words.
 
Researchers in America analysed thousands of 30-second snippets of how parents spoke to their babies. They compared the use of normal speak to an exaggerated baby talk style.
 
They found that the more parents animated their words and raised the pitch of their voices, the more one-year-olds babbled away. This is very important for word pronunciation.
 
Results showed that baby talk was more effective when verbal exchange happened one-on-one rather than in a group of people.
 
In the study, babies who heard the most baby talk in one-on-one situations knew 433 words by the time they were two, compared to 169 words recognised by those who were not used to hearing it in the same situation.
 
An assistant psychology professor at the University of Connecticut said: “Some parents produce baby talk naturally and they don't realise they're benefiting their children. Some families are more quiet, not talking all the time. But it helps to make an effort to talk more.”

Latest

Trending