What Is The Difference Between Talking To A Baby And A Child

In the first years of life, children develop speech and language. Parents, of course, are decisive for children to develop their skills. In these cases, when talking to an infant or young child, many often exaggerate their shape and style. On the contrary, others will speak as they normally do with adults. Who is right? We find out in this article

When talking to a baby and a child we change the tone of voice is usually not a conscious decision. What best stimulates language development is speech style and social context. That “childish” talk that many parents use with their children, sometimes criticized or devalued, is a good stimulus for the rapid development of speech and language.

To talk to a baby and a child: enthusiasm and attention

The advantages of speaking to them with a childish tone

Patricia Kuhl, co-director of the University of Washington Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences, and Nairán Ramírez-Esparza, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Connecticut, analyzed the verbal exchange of 26 babies with their parents.

To collect the information, they used one-year-old babies wearing vests with audio recorders. They collected sounds from the children’s environment for 8 hours a day for 4 days. With the help of a piece of software, they processed thousands of fragments of 30-second verbal exchanges. The first thing they identified was that the parents who used the “childish” tone (exaggerating the pronunciation and raising the tone in some words), obtained more responses.

Babbling is a precursor milestone in the pronunciation of words during learning. So when talking to a baby and a child, parents who used this different enthusiasm and emphasis obtained a greater “exchange” than those who used a neutral tone. But there is more. Parents who, in addition to using that emphatic and lively tone, spoke with the baby individually, without the intervention of other adults or children around them, also improved the amount of “responses” their children had.

Quality is more valuable than quantity

Previous studies used to focus on how many words babies heard was the determining factor. Kuhl and Ramírez-Esparza’s investigation turned the tide. The study, published in 2014 by the journal Developmental Science , showed that the quality of conversation and context is decisive for the development of speech and language , much more than the number of words.

The importance of happy tone and exclusive dedication

But the investigation did not end there. After a year, when the children were already 2 years old, they summoned the parents again. They were asked to specify how many words their children knew. Those children of parents who used a neutral tone and did not emphasize individual conversation knew about 169 words. Meanwhile, the children of parents who spoke to them individually and with the emphatic and happy tone, knew about 433 words on average. A significant difference!

The attitude of parents who conversed with their children using a special tone and giving them exclusive attention while they were babies was decisive in the subsequent development of language.

Remember…

• When talking to an infant and toddler, invite them to say more. For example: “Tell me more”, “What do you think?”, “Really?”, “Tell me” …
• Listen carefully to what your child is saying or trying to say. Even if you are busy, it is better to explain to him than to pretend that you are listening: “Now I am busy, but in a while you will tell me.”
• Better to propose than deny. Instead of saying: “Do not bother the dog” is much better: “Treat your pet with affection.”
• Use empathetic messages  that reflect how children feel and invite them to express their views. For example. “You are upset because they did not lend you the toy.”
• It is better to talk to children than to give them instructions. Generally, we tell children what to do, but we rarely listen to what they have to say.
• Talk about how you feel about his behavior, before disqualifying him for what he did.

Final thoughts

That distinct tone used when talking to an infant and toddler, which comes naturally, seems to benefit your children. In families that speak little or that there is no time to attend to the children individually, problems with language can be seen. This study showed that how you talk to children is important. The tone and the affectionate, close and individualized language for children and babies is the one that offers the best results to capture their attention and boost their linguistic evolution.

It is not about talking for the sake of talking. Nor to mispronounce words or use diminutives. Rather, it is to emphasize the important words. Using a warm tone of voice and paying individual attention to children is essential. Seeking the baby’s interaction and response is the beginning, then progress in speech and language.