What's Hot

    Treat Yourself: Explore restored wetlands, more at Canastota’s Great Swamp Conservancy

    June 1, 2023

    Explore CNY: Cazenovia has something for every age

    June 1, 2023

    Summer Learning Loss is Real

    June 1, 2023
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Trending
    • Treat Yourself: Explore restored wetlands, more at Canastota’s Great Swamp Conservancy
    • Explore CNY: Cazenovia has something for every age
    • Summer Learning Loss is Real
    • 315 Bulletin
    • Berries and Cream Croissant Breakfast Casserole
    • Summer Activities Guide
    • A Day for Dad
    • Wondrous Waterfalls
    Facebook Twitter Instagram RSS
    Family TimesFamily Times
    • Community Guide
    • Things to Do in CNY
      1. Central New York Events
      2. Activities
      3. Treat Yourself
      Featured

      Treat Yourself: Explore restored wetlands, more at Canastota’s Great Swamp Conservancy

      By Courtney KlessJune 1, 202311
      Recent

      Treat Yourself: Explore restored wetlands, more at Canastota’s Great Swamp Conservancy

      June 1, 2023

      Explore CNY: Cazenovia has something for every age

      June 1, 2023

      Summer Activities Guide

      June 1, 2023
    • Parenting
      1. Pregnancy
      2. Babies
      3. Kids
      4. Preschoolers/Toddlers
      5. Special Needs
      6. Teens
      7. Pets
      8. View All

      The Power to Save a Life: Cord blood is being used to treat more than 80 diseases

      January 30, 2020

      It’s Not What It Looks Like: Reflections on motherhood’s changes, outside and inside

      July 29, 2019

      In Search of Sleep: 8 Strategies for coping with wakeful babies

      July 29, 2019

      A Surgical Birth: Many pregnant women are likely to deliver by cesarean

      July 29, 2019

      Strangers Bearing Advice: New babies bring out the expert in everyone

      August 1, 2021

      Hand to Mouth: How to help babies start to sample solid food

      August 1, 2020

      315 Bulletin

      August 1, 2020

      Name, Please? Expectant parents face another momentous decision

      August 1, 2020

      Prep Work: Keep your family’s food safe this summer

      June 1, 2022

      A Blooming Craft: These homemade flowers make a great centerpiece

      March 1, 2021

      Rainbow Snowflakes: A colorful craft even little ones can make

      November 24, 2020

      DIY Critter Magnets: Make cute clips for hanging reminders and more

      September 1, 2020

      DIY Critter Magnets: Make cute clips for hanging reminders and more

      September 1, 2020

      Allergy Adjustments: Parents can support their food allergic child

      September 3, 2019

      Calming Commotion: How to deal with car sickness and more

      June 27, 2019

      Introducing Riff Rockit: Kindie artist to play jingles at Leon Fest

      June 1, 2017

      A History of Inclusion: The Jowonio School marked 50 years in 2019

      March 30, 2020

      Reaching a Milestone: Now the largest chapter in the country, Special Olympics New York is celebrating 50 years

      March 30, 2020

      Come Out and Play: Move Along offers adaptive sports for youth, adults

      March 30, 2020

      Let’s Get Together: Remaking classrooms so all students are included

      September 3, 2019

      Prep Work: Keep your family’s food safe this summer

      June 1, 2022

      A Little Jolt: Caffeine’s risks for kids and teens

      March 1, 2021

      A Blooming Craft: These homemade flowers make a great centerpiece

      March 1, 2021

      Environmental Club: Auburn Junior High School

      January 30, 2020

      Furry Friends: What it takes to adopt a pet for the first time

      July 1, 2020

      Tail Wagging Fun: Lights on the Lake Dog Walk 2019

      November 14, 2019

      Uncommon Companions: Local pet store sticks to its niche

      May 30, 2019

      Dog Food for Thought: Trying to keep your pet from your plate

      May 30, 2019

      Summer Learning Loss is Real

      June 1, 2023

      A Day for Dad

      June 1, 2023

      Crash Course: Help your child brush up on study skills for final exams

      May 1, 2023

      A Day Just for Mom: Mother’s Day celebrations and gifts she’ll treasure

      May 1, 2023
    • Health
      1. Child Development
      2. Food
      3. Nutrition
      4. The “Recipe Doctor”
      5. View All

      Financial Literacy for Families: How parents can teach children, teens about money management

      April 1, 2022

      Strangers Bearing Advice: New babies bring out the expert in everyone

      August 1, 2021

      Choosing a Daycare: Learn As You Grow’s Joshua LaGrow offers some tips for finding the right fit

      August 1, 2021

      A Little Jolt: Caffeine’s risks for kids and teens

      March 1, 2021

      Berries and Cream Croissant Breakfast Casserole

      June 1, 2023

      Prep Work: Keep your family’s food safe this summer

      June 1, 2022

      Nutrition in No Time: Are you always on the go? These tips will help you stay on track.

      January 1, 2022

      Easy Holiday Recipes: Are you searching for some new dishes this season? These are some of our favorites.

      November 1, 2021

      Nutrition in No Time: Are you always on the go? These tips will help you stay on track.

      January 1, 2022

      Liking Lunch: Best bets for serving kids a delicious, nutritious meal

      September 1, 2021

      A Little Jolt: Caffeine’s risks for kids and teens

      March 1, 2021

      Better Choices: How about a resolution to eat vegetables and other nutritious foods?

      January 1, 2021

      Best Friend’s Treats: Bake up some special dog biscuits

      June 1, 2018

      Colorful Soup in a Jar: Give the gift of winter comfort

      December 1, 2015

      Berry Good! Use a summer favorite in this ice cream

      July 1, 2015

      Flapjack Fever: Even pancakes can be a healthy breakfast

      June 1, 2015

      Treat Yourself: Explore restored wetlands, more at Canastota’s Great Swamp Conservancy

      June 1, 2023

      Berries and Cream Croissant Breakfast Casserole

      June 1, 2023

      Treat Yourself: Watch a show – or two – at Redhouse Arts Center

      May 1, 2023

      315 Bulletin

      May 1, 2023
    • Travel
    • Education
      1. Educator of the Month
      2. Class of the Month
      3. Education News
      4. Reading
      5. Teaching
      Featured

      Summer Learning Loss is Real

      By Kimberly BlakerJune 1, 20236
      Recent

      Summer Learning Loss is Real

      June 1, 2023

      Lzay Colella, Lead Instructor for Le Moyne College’s Summer Arts Institute Musical Theatre Camp

      June 1, 2023

      Ben Borenstein, Education Coordinator at Redhouse Arts Center

      May 1, 2023
    • Crafts & DIY
      • Create
      • Holiday Crafts
    Family TimesFamily Times
    Home»Family Times celebrates 20 years!»Baby Talk: Give your infant a head start on language
    Baby and Mother
    Family Times celebrates 20 years!

    Baby Talk: Give your infant a head start on language

    Courtney KlessBy Courtney KlessAugust 1, 2022Updated:August 31, 2022No Comments0 Views
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    By Melanie Evans

    Family Times is 20! To celebrate, we will pick one article from our archive each month – including this one, which appeared in our first Baby Issue in 2003. View our other anniversary content here.

    There’s something magical and amazing about babies, especially as they grow up and develop. As adults, we have joy of helping a baby in that maturation process. One area of development on which parents and caregivers can have a significant impact is their acquisition of language skills.

    Infants as young as 8 months old have the ability to recognize words they have heard before, according to Smith College researchers Jill and Peter de Villiers. This means if an infant hears a word spoken on its own, she may recognize it later in a sentence.

    When a parent holds a ball and says “ball” to the infant, the word may sound familiar to the infant later if the parent says, “Look at the bouncing ball.” The same is true for words heard first in a sentence. If a parent says, “The doggie goes woof-woof,” then the infant may recognize the word later on when the parent says “doggie” and points to the pooch.

    By the time an infant is 9 or 10 months old, he is able to respond to changes in voice and facial expressions. By the age of 1 year, infants recognize when they are being talked to and when it is time for them to respond to the person talking to them. Given this information, it is important for parents and caregivers to expose infants to language by talking and reading to them.

    Giving children early exposure to words may help their language skills and school performance later in life. Some research has shown that children do better in school if they were talked to and read to frequently as infants. Reading to young children also helps encourage reading skills and gets children interested in books.

    Talking with Your Baby: Family as the First School (Syracuse University Press, 1996), co-written by Holly Elisabeth Brophy and SU’s Alice Sterling Honig, outlines activities that help to promote language skills. Many of the interactions they recommend can be done during daily routines. For example, speak to your infant while you are doing household chores, and explain what you are doing: “I am sweeping the floor; I am using the broom to get all the dirt off the floor.”

    You can use other domestic duties to help your child learn words. When you fold the laundry, say things to your child about the clothes: “Feel the sweater, it is soft.” By exaggerating the word “soooffft” and having your infant feel the garment, you are helping to associate words with meanings. Talk about the way things feel, the way they look, the color they are or even how they smell.

    Also talk to your child during daily caregiving routines, such as changing a diaper, eating or bathing. Again, explain to your child what is happening, “I am changing your diaper. Yes, I am.” It is important to use a warm, caring and loving voice with your child.

    Ask your child about what she is doing while playing, and describe these actions. If your child is playing with a stuffed tiger, you may say, “You are playing with your tiger. You are making him walk.”

    And, of course, anytime is a good time to read to your child. Books can be read during the day, at bedtime or even in the bathtub; look for books made out of materials that can get wet. Listening to books can be very exciting for babies, particularly if you use a lot of variety in your voice and read expressively.

    Reading to your child is also a good opportunity for learning new words. Look at pages with your child and ask him, “Where is the doggie? Can you point to the doggie?” This gets your child involved and helps him master new words.

    Use these suggestions to help enhance and build your child’s language skills. Not only will these activities help your child’s language development, they will also aid in building a loving relationship between the two of you.


    Here is a look back at some of our other baby issues:

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Telegram Email
    Avatar photo
    Courtney Kless
    • LinkedIn

    Courtney Kless is the Editor in Chief of Family Times. Courtney is originally from Maryland. She earned her Master’s degree in Magazine, Newspaper and Online Journalism from Syracuse University. Courtney began her career as a sports journalist, then spent several years working in higher education, before joining the company in August 2019. She enjoys traveling, reading and hiking, and recently adopted a Labrador Retriever, Bailey.

    Related Posts

    Crash Course: Help your child brush up on study skills for final exams

    May 1, 2023

    Cash for Kids: An allowance introduces your child to money management

    March 31, 2023

    March On: Irish stew is perfect for this time of year

    March 1, 2023
    Stay In Touch
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    Top Posts

    Summer Activities Guide

    June 1, 202330

    Wondrous Waterfalls

    June 1, 202325

    Lzay Colella, Lead Instructor for Le Moyne College’s Summer Arts Institute Musical Theatre Camp

    June 1, 202318

    Treat Yourself: Watch a show – or two – at Redhouse Arts Center

    May 1, 202315
    Flip Through Our Latest Issue!
    Recent Posts
    • Treat Yourself: Explore restored wetlands, more at Canastota’s Great Swamp Conservancy
    • Explore CNY: Cazenovia has something for every age
    • Summer Learning Loss is Real
    • 315 Bulletin
    • Berries and Cream Croissant Breakfast Casserole

    Family Times Magazine publishes a digital magazine highlighting events, businesses, and content to inform and entertain families here in Central New York. Sign up for our twice monthly newsletter to have the magazine and other featured content.
    ____

    Email Us: [email protected]
    Contact: 1.315.422.7011

    Facebook Twitter YouTube LinkedIn RSS
    Our Picks

    Treat Yourself: Explore restored wetlands, more at Canastota’s Great Swamp Conservancy

    June 1, 2023

    Explore CNY: Cazenovia has something for every age

    June 1, 2023

    Summer Learning Loss is Real

    June 1, 2023
    Most Popular

    Summer Activities Guide

    June 1, 202330

    Wondrous Waterfalls

    June 1, 202325

    Lzay Colella, Lead Instructor for Le Moyne College’s Summer Arts Institute Musical Theatre Camp

    June 1, 202318
    © 2023 All Times Publishing. Designed by Crossroads Media Productions.
    • Our Authors
    • Archives
    • Community Events Calendar
    • Advertising

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    Go to mobile version