This is actually really good for babiesâ brain development. Youâre laying the groundwork for conversation, teaching them through example that people take turns talking and listening.
Did you know that babies from affluent families hear an average of thirty MILLION more words before age 5 than babies in families below the poverty line? For context, Les Miserables is about 650,000 words and it looks like this:
So itâs like reading this book 46 times.* And thatâs not the total number of spoken words, thatâs the GAP between affluent and poor babies. And these are the years in which the brain undergoes the most development. Itâs mind-boggling.
So what Iâm saying is: keep doing the thing. Do it to all babies, all the time. Narrate your day. Ask them for opinions. (âShould we buy the large bag of potatoes or the small bag?â âGaabooglagje.â âYes, just as I thought.â) Point out colors and shapes and letters. Let them scribble outside the lines and treat their babble like talk. Sing them nursery rhymes and Raffi songs and songs from the radio. All of these things are going to build their brains to prepare them for kindergarten and beyond.
*Please do not read Les Mis 46 times to an infant. They donât even care about the Parisian sewer system.
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