Sunday, November 9, 2014

Parenting: Conversation

http://www.economist.com/blogs/babbage/2014/02/early-language-and-brain
This clip reviews research that shows how important it is for children to be in conversation with family members. Young children need to hear around 2000 words per hour in order to develop the vocabulary needed for successful learning. If they are in conversation, the language parts of the brain will grow. This kind of brain growth will not happen from watching television or even from playing educational games on a computer. 

God hard-wired children to seek attention from parents and this attention makes learning possible. In conversation with parents and other family members, children learn procedures, social skills, language and faith.

While babies and toddlers depend on parent talk to teach them language, even school age children need conversation in order to develop learning skills, listening skills, and family values. Later, these conversations will be lurking in the minds of teenage children who seemingly have forgotten how to talk to parents.

Read a book. Tell a story. Ask a question. Share your faith.

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