Posts tagged ‘communication’
Video Slideshow: 5 Strategies to Raise Moral, Kind Children
Richard Weissbourd, a psychologist at the Harvard graduate school of education, and the Making Caring Common Project summarize recommendations about how to raise children to become caring, respectful and responsible people.
The Most Important Trait For Caregivers
For updates on early childhood research and new articles, follow me on Twitter @whizbits
When our first son was just a few months old, our PEPS parents group had an early childhood speech development expert as a guest speaker. She provided the following simple advice: the most important thing to look for in prospective caregivers for your baby is that they are talkative. Basically, find a chatty nanny or daycare provider.
For some time now, researchers have found that children of more talkative mothers have larger vocabularies than children of quieter moms (studies at the University of Chicago showed as much as a 400% difference among two year olds). (more…)
The Benefits of Family Meal Time
Being a parent of an infant or toddler is a wonderful, and yet at times, exhausting role. It’s tempting to get food prepared for the kids, and worry about yourself later, particularly if you have a picky eater. However, research shows that families who share most mealtimes together raise kids who are healthier – both physically and emotionally – and who do better in school. As soon as your baby is eating solid foods, it’s a good idea instill the habit of eating together as a family, particularly given the vocabulary advantages for preschoolers who eat with their parents and siblings.
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Baby Sign Language
By the time that they are a year old, infants can understand far more words than they can speak. Over the past few decades, research has shown that pre-verbal toddlers can use simple hand gestures to communicate through baby sign language. In addition to reducing frustration for both parents and toddlers through improved communication, studies have shown that babies who were taught basic sign language have larger vocabularies, increased IQ scores, and better ability to interact socially with other children. (more…)