How interactions provide a powerful social basis for learning language skills

Interactivity basics. One of the first language skills little ones learn is how to take turns in a conversation – joining in a back-and-forth routine that can go on for as long as you both stay engaged. By looking out for opportunities for a back-and-forth interaction, you can help your little one understand a key feature of interactions: the rhythm of a conversation. For babies in families with normal hearing, the sounds we make with our mouths are part of the interactions we share with each other. Babies need to learn that interactions and vocal sounds are connected, and to learn about how to join in. For older children, back-and-forth interactions are a great way to enrich your speech during time you spend with your little one.

What does the science say? In one key study, little ones who heard more speech at home and had more back-and-forth conversations had better language skills 10 years later. But which of the two was more important – hearing more words or taking more turns? You might guess that hearing more words is linked to better outcomes, since children have more chances to learn from the words they hear. But actually, the number of back-and-forth conversations was linked to better outcomes. Another important study showed that when children hear a new language for the first time, they learn better from a live interaction with a visitor to their home than they do from the same speech presented on a TV. These two studies together suggests that children learn in a different way when they are socially engaged – hearing many words isn’t enough, little ones need to be part of the conversation.

You don’t have to wait until your little one is talking to engage them in a back-and-forth interaction. This week we will share information about different ways your little one learns from interactivity, and how you can boost interactivity in your interactions.

Read more about interactivity in our pages on…

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