Got babies making hand gestures? That's GOOD!

William Atkins
Thursday, 19 March 2009 20:13

Science - Biology

Specifically, the two Chicago researchers concluded, “… that children from high-SES families frequently used gesture to communicate at 14 months, a relation that was explained by parent gesture use (with speech controlled)."

And, "In turn, the fact that children from high-SES families have large vocabularies at 54 months was explained by children's gesture use at 14 months."

Finally, they stated, "Thus, differences in early gesture help to explain the disparities in vocabulary that children bring with them to school.”

Their resulted were published in the February 13, 2009 issue of the journal Science. Its title is “Differences in Early Gesture Explain SES Disparities in Child Vocabulary Size at School Entry.”

To learn more about how to build your child's vocabulary, go to the Superkids Vocabulary Builders website.

The Child Development Institute website "Helping Your Child at Home with Vocabulary Building" states, "Parents are the first 'language models' for children. The language children use is modeled, or based, on what they hear from their parents. Parents need to create an environment that enriches what a child hears. The words he hears, he will use with encouragement."

What you say and do in front of your child affects them, either positively or negatively. Remember this as you interact with your child.