Kids Who Talk With Adults Talk Better

Talking with young children is important to their language development, a study has found. Researchers looked at 275 families. All had children ages 2 to 4. Children with high language scores had a lot of conversations with adults. Watching more TV lowered language scores. In conversations, kids will make mistakes. Then adults can correct them, and language skills can improve, researchers said. The study was published in the July issue of the journal Pediatrics.

What Is the Doctor's Reaction?

My 3-year-old never stops talking -- and it can make me crazy.

"What are skyscrapers?"

"Where does mail come from?"

"Why can’t I wear my coat?"

I can never seem to just answer and get on with what I was doing. My answer just leads to another question, like "But why is the weather too warm?" or "What does 'weather' mean?"

It's nonstop all day, a stream-of-consciousness running commentary on The World According to Liam.

"Dinosaurs are too alive," he'll insist. We try to explain that they are extinct. But he tells us patiently, emphatically and repeatedly that we are not only wrong but in imminent danger of being attacked. Days with Liam can be exasperating (not to mention exhausting).

But an article in this month's Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, suggests that my exasperation is worth it. Researchers found that the children with high language scores engaged in a lot of conversation with adults.

It's the conversation part that's crucial. When there is a back-and-forth, there are opportunities for trying out new words and getting them corrected. When Liam says "buyed" instead of "bought," or "Tyrassus Rex" instead of "Tyrannosaurus Rex" (as he's saying that he might get eaten by one in the backyard), we have a chance to teach him the right way to say things. He repeats them tentatively, then proudly. Sometimes the back-and-forth is about helping him find words in the first place, helping him express what he wants to say.

This, the researchers say, is exactly what children need as they acquire language skills. And this is what is missing when kids watch TV. In fact, the study showed that kids who watched more TV had lower language scores. When the TV is on, the authors have found, conversation stops. And when the conversation stops, so does language development.

What Changes Can I Make Now?

This one is easy: Talk with your kids. What makes it especially great is that kids love to talk to their parents. When Liam feels we aren't talking to him enough he'll yell at us. If that doesn't work he climbs on a lap and pulls the face to look at him. If you talk with your child, you not only will be helping his language development, but you also will be making him happy and strengthening your relationship with him. Here are some ideas:

• Engage your child in dinner preparation. Give your child a job to do, and talk about your day -- or the food you are making.


• Go for walks and talk about what you see. Play "I Spy."


• Make up stories. You can take turns adding to the plot. This is fun to do on walks, too.
  
• When reading stories to your child, stop every once in a while to talk about what you are reading. Ask your child what she thinks will happen next, for example. Or ask if she thinks a character is happy or sad, or which picture she likes best and why.


• Rides in the car are a great time to have conversations. Shut off the radio or music, and talk with your child instead.


• If your child gets a word or phrase wrong, repeat it back as part of the conversation. For example, if he says, "Daddy goed to the store," you could say, "Yes, Daddy went to the store. What did he buy?" That way you incorporate corrections into the natural flow of conversation (and don't make him feel bad for getting it wrong).

It's also really crucial that families turn off the TV. The American Academy of Pediatrics says that kids under age 2 shouldn't watch TV at all. Those over 2 shouldn't have more than 2 hours of "screen time" (this includes computer time and video games) each day. We already know that television viewing can increase the risk of:

• Obesity


• Attention problems


• Aggressive behavior


• Sexualized behavior (and, possibly, teen pregnancy)

This study adds the risk of poor language development.

What Can I Expect Looking to the Future?

If current trends of TV viewing and limited interaction with children continue, we may see more children with limited language. We also may see more school difficulties (as well as weight and behavior problems). This would be very sad, because prevention is so simple.

I expect that we will learn more about how language develops in children. I hope we can find ways to educate and empower parents, caregivers and teachers about how to encourage and stimulate that development. I also expect that the evidence will continue to mount about the dangers of the media and the importance of family interactions.

Maybe, just maybe, we can come together as a society to make changes in our culture. That, more than anything, could make a real difference in the future of our children.