The Importance of Early Learning for a Baby

7/30/2019 The Importance of Early Learning for a Baby

1/4

The Importance of Early Language Learning for BabyMarsha PetersonBabies enter this world with great curiosity and a willingness to learn. The first three years

of life, and some may say the first eight years of life, will be the most important learning

time for your baby. During this time baby pathway connections in his brain are beingdeveloped as he makes sense of things in his world. Reading to your baby and teaching him

sign language are two ways to boost your babys language development.In a July 2006 issue ofWebMD, Jennifer Warner states that it is never too early to read toyour children. Researchers from the study found children in low-income families had better

language comprehension and cognitive development if their mothers read to them at an

early age.1ReadToYourBaby.comis a website dedicated to helping families with reading.In their experience, Children who have had books in their lives between birth and five will

become the future highest achievers with a lifelong love of learning.2

Even before a baby is born, he can hear the sound of how language works. Reading to baby

before he is born will help him start to understand his native language. Babies can becomefamiliar with the rhythm of sentences, how the voice is lowered at the close of a sentence orhow the voices tone rises when a question is asked.Reading is the most natural way to teach your baby. Books are easy to get and are a great

way to introduce learning.KidsHealth.orgsuggests books do more than entertain. Booksteach babies about communication. Books can introduce concepts. Baby can learn about

numbers, letters, shapes, and colors. Books can help baby learn how to listen, build

memory skills, introduce new words, and provide additional information about the world helives in. How a book is read can give baby information about emotions as the reader usesexpressive sounds. Baby can learn about socialization, which helps with emotional health.3Babies like books with bright colors and contrasting patterns. As baby matures, she will

show more interest in books by grabbing and trying to turn pages. Baby will evendemonstrate her preferences about which book or story she prefers.To gain the most when reading to your baby,ReadToYourBaby.com suggests doing so in

a quiet place, holding and comforting your baby, and starting on any page.4 Read with

expression, and stop once in a while to ask a question. Books that are repetitive in naturewill help baby learn, and its good to read the same stories several times. Try singing thewords for added interest. And be sure to cuddle! Being close to baby while you are reading

makes your baby feel safe and connected to you. And remember, baby loves the sound of

your voice.Andrew Meltzoff is co-director at the University of Washingtons Institute for Learningand Brain Sciences. The Institute conducts research about how newborns learn and

develop. The April 2010 edition ofScholastic Parent and Childquotes Meltzoff: Babies

seem to learn language best from people. Parents and caretakers instinctively adjust theirspeech, eye gaze, and social signals to support language acquisition.5 The article explainshow language is the way to develop higher verbal IQs for babies but cautions it must be

carried out via two-way communication.

There is much controversy about babies and toddlers who watch TV, DVDs, or tapes forlearning. Studies from the University of Washington found that 8 to 16 month old infants
http://readtoyourbaby.com/http://readtoyourbaby.com/http://readtoyourbaby.com/http://kidshealth.org/http://kidshealth.org/http://kidshealth.org/http://readtoyourbaby.com/http://readtoyourbaby.com/http://readtoyourbaby.com/http://readtoyourbaby.com/http://kidshealth.org/http://readtoyourbaby.com/


2/4

who regularly watched TV actually understood fewer words than babies who did not watch

TV at all.6 Roberta M. Bolinkoff, in her book titled How Babies Talk, suggests TV watching

may help with naming objects, but it does nothing to facilitate developing a language. It isonly through interactive, conversational, turn-taking that children develop a thorough

understanding of language.7 The American Academy of Pediatrics(AAP) recommendsthat children under two years of age should not watch any TV, and those older than two

should watch no more than one to two hours a day of quality programming. The first twoyears of life are considered a critical time for brain development. TV and other electronic

media can get in the way of exploring, playing, and interacting with parents and others.8

Before birth, baby has been listening to sounds while mother is still carrying him, eventhough it might sound like voices under water. Babies do in fact learn in the womb, andwhat they learn helps them after they are born. Research shows babies prefer to hear a

higher pitched voice because of the familiarity they already have with their mothers voice.9

Learning how to speak begins during infancy, when babys tongue comes in and out of the

mouth. Its this exercising and experimenting with the muscles used for speech that getsbaby ready to talk. You may also notice some cooing, perhaps at different volumes. It takes

time for baby to learn to coordinate all these parts, which is a reason why speech seems to

take so long to emerge. While baby is developing these skills, he is also busy watchinghuman faces (which he loves), hearing talking, and observing the world around him.Before the body parts for speech are fully developed, believe it or not, your baby is ready to

sign! The reason is because the part of the brain used for speech is developing slower thanthe part of the brain baby uses to learn sign language. A babys hand muscles aredeveloped earlier than the muscles used for speech.10 You can introduce simple signs from

birth to help you become familiar with them and comfortable using them. You may evenincorporate sign language with reading. When your baby is ready to produce the first sign,as early as 68 months, you will be ready to know and teach the signs you want your baby

to learn. Too many parents wait to gain the knowledge themselves until they feel their baby

can sign, but these bases should be covered earlier.Many babies will develop their own signs for communicating if no one teaches them proper

signs. In fact, its never too late to teach your child how to sign and reap the many benefits.The use of sign language can reduce frustration and even raise a childs IQ. Consider the

study by John D. Bonvillian and Keith E. Nelson, titled Sign Language Acquisition in a Mute

Autistic Boy.11 The study begins with an initial assessment of 9-year-old Ted, a boy withautism who does not speak. Children with autism generally do not like changes in their

routine, are poor communicators, can become frustrated if misunderstood, do not socializevery well, and have behavior problems, to name a few common traits. I think most families

can identify with one or more of these problems even if they do not have a child with specialneeds.When Ted was 2 he displayed emotional disturbances. A hearing test was done to rule outhearing loss as a reason for these problems, but Teds hearing was within normal ranges.Starting at age 3, his parents tried several programs to improve his communication,

including computers, group play therapy, and the use of incentives to encourage speech and

to motivate paying attention to teacher and parent. When Ted was 9, the teacher noted thathis receptive skills had improved somewhat since he had started pointing to objects,

although he was still uncommunicative and his social interactions were inappropriate. The

teacher decided to try sign language. Signing is easily taught since it is a visual form ofcommunication, and Teds hands could be molded to make the signs.


3/4

The teacher, family, and other staff members would help mold Teds hands to make the

sign for an object as they verbalized the word in English. It was important to involve the

family so that Ted could generalize his American Sign Language (ASL) beyond theconfines of the learning center.

During the next six months, Ted developed a functional language. Ted learned to sign when

he needed to use the bathroom, tantrums were reduced, overall body movements werecalmed, and his social interactions improved. Sign language proved to be the only way Tedcould communicate, and the use of sign language improved his life dramatically. Signing can

work for you too.

Early intervention starts when your baby comes home from the hospital. Start reading! Your

baby wont even care if you read a recipe bookjust read. If you are unfamiliar withAmerican Sign Language, now is the time to learn it, or if you already know ASL, now is the

time to brush up on your skills. Be ready to teach.

Keep signs consistent and relevant to daily activities, like eating and bathing, starting witheat, bath,and more, for example. Model the sign repeatedly for baby. You may evenmold the sign with babys hand as you verbalize the word. Always say the word as you are

making the sign. The next step is to put two signs together, such as more eat and morebath. Once your baby catches on that use of a sign produces a certain effect, you are onyour way to expanding vocabulary related to those effects. Try using those signs in differentsettings and in a different context. You will find you have a much happier (and smarter!)

baby.

A report completed by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Study of Early Child Care explains how high-quality care that includes stimulatinglanguage is important to our children and our future.12 Early education is something

parents can be in charge of and something that should begin with babys arrival. Its as easy

as reading to baby and introducing sign language. Make the most of your babys first years:read and sign.Endnotes:1. Warner, Jennifer. Reading to Infants Raises Language Skills, July 13, 2006,www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,203393,00.html, accessed October 5, 2010.2.www.readtoyourbaby.com/about_authors.html, accessed October 6, 2010.

3. Finding the Right Read,KidsHealth,kidshealth.org/parent/positive/all_reading/right_reads.html, accessed October 5,2010.4. Read-Aloud Tips: Eight Baby Read-Aloud Basics,Read to Your Baby,

www.readtoyourbaby.com/read_eightprinc.html, accessed October 5, 2010.5. Buchanan, Carolyn. Shortcut to Genius?Scholastic Parent and Child, April 2010: 64.

Print,www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3753691, accessed October 19,

2010. Further information about the Institute and their mission can be found at thislocation:http://ilabs.washington.edu/about/index.html.6. Ibid.7. Golinkoff, Roberta M. and Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, How Babies Talk: The Magic and Mystery of

Language in the First Three Years of Life, New York: Dutton, 1999. Print.8. Childrens TV Time Linked to Behavior Problems and Health Risks,Family Resource

Connection, Vol. XIII, Issue 1,www.kinderberryhill.com/pdf/tvtimefrckbh.pdf,

accessed October 6, 2010.9. Golinkoff, Roberta M. and Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, How Babies Talk: The Magic and Mystery ofLanguage in the First Three Years of Life, New York: Dutton, 1999. Print.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,203393,00.htmlhttp://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,203393,00.htmlhttp://www.readtoyourbaby.com/about_authors.htmlhttp://www.readtoyourbaby.com/about_authors.htmlhttp://www.readtoyourbaby.com/about_authors.htmlhttp://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/all_reading/right_reads.htmlhttp://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/all_reading/right_reads.htmlhttp://www.readtoyourbaby.com/read_eightprinc.htmlhttp://www.readtoyourbaby.com/read_eightprinc.htmlhttp://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3753691http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3753691http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3753691http://ilabs.washington.edu/about/index.htmlhttp://ilabs.washington.edu/about/index.htmlhttp://ilabs.washington.edu/about/index.htmlhttp://www.kinderberryhill.com/pdf/tvtimefrckbh.pdfhttp://www.kinderberryhill.com/pdf/tvtimefrckbh.pdfhttp://www.kinderberryhill.com/pdf/tvtimefrckbh.pdfhttp://www.kinderberryhill.com/pdf/tvtimefrckbh.pdfhttp://ilabs.washington.edu/about/index.htmlhttp://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3753691http://www.readtoyourbaby.com/read_eightprinc.htmlhttp://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/all_reading/right_reads.htmlhttp://www.readtoyourbaby.com/about_authors.htmlhttp://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,203393,00.html


4/4

10. Sign Language for Babies,www.start-american-sign-language.com/sign-

language-for-babies.html, accessed October 6, 2010.11. Bonvillian, John D. and Keith E. Nelson, Sign Language Acquisition in a Mute AutisticBoy,Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders 41, 3, 33947, August 1976.

12. Todd, Christine, The NICHD Child Care Study Results: What do they mean for parents,child-care professionals, employers and decision makers? National Network for Child Care,

www.nncc.org/Research/NICHD.ECIresponse.html, accessed October 6, 2010.Marsha Peterson and her son Chad live in the Twin Cities. Chad was born with Down

syndrome and autism and learned American Sign Language when he was 1. Marsha

published a book to help parents learn American Sign Language at the same time theyintroduce literacy to their baby. Come Sign with Us: The Adventures of Potts andFriends was published in June 2009 and received a Moms Choice Award for Educational

Products in February 2010. For more information, visitwww.TalkingWithBaby.com.Copyright, 2012. Used with permission. All rights reserved by author. Originally appeared in

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, the family education magazine, April 2012. Read themagazine free atwww.TOSMagazine.comor read it on the go and download the free apps at

www.TOSApps.comto read the magazine on your mobile devices.
http://www.start-american-sign-language.com/sign-language-for-babies.htmlhttp://www.start-american-sign-language.com/sign-language-for-babies.htmlhttp://www.start-american-sign-language.com/sign-language-for-babies.htmlhttp://www.start-american-sign-language.com/sign-language-for-babies.htmlhttp://www.nncc.org/Research/NICHD.ECIresponse.htmlhttp://www.nncc.org/Research/NICHD.ECIresponse.htmlhttp://www.talkingwithbaby.com/http://www.talkingwithbaby.com/http://www.talkingwithbaby.com/http://www.tosmagazine.com/http://www.tosmagazine.com/http://www.tosmagazine.com/http://www.tosapps.com/http://www.tosapps.com/http://www.tosapps.com/http://www.tosmagazine.com/http://www.talkingwithbaby.com/http://www.nncc.org/Research/NICHD.ECIresponse.htmlhttp://www.start-american-sign-language.com/sign-language-for-babies.htmlhttp://www.start-american-sign-language.com/sign-language-for-babies.html

Documents

The Importance of Early Learning for a Baby