| Baby talk | |
| There's no correlation between when
baby talks and future learning capacity. By 3 or so, when she's adding new words quicker than you can keep track, don't worry if you notice mistakes or incorrect usage: ''wented'' for went, or adding ''ie'' at the end of nouns. Rather than reprimand or correct, just say it correctly yourself. Not, ''Oh, you mean you went to school,'' but, ''Yes, today you went to school.'' Don't assume day-care providers or baby sitters will understand your baby's words. Clue them in. When a toddler reaches the two-word-sentence stage, the same words can vary in meaning, depending on circumstance. If mom is in the room, ''mommy come'' could mean, ''Mommy, come to me now.'' If she's not even home, it could mean, ''When will Mommy be here?'' Listen for context and intonation. Allow your baby time alone in the crib to talk to herself. It's one of the best ways for language to unfold. To find a certified, licensed speech-language pathologist in your community, contact the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association at 800-638-8255 or asha.org. |
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