Vocabulary

Did you know that between the ages of 2 and 6 children have the ability to learn 6 to 10 new words a day? From the always helpful Not Just Cute blog comes this article about why it's important for adults to use "quality language" with children. While "baby talk" has been shown to support language development in infants, by the time children get older, they need to be hearing a rich vocabulary. 

A study in the journal Pediatrics has concluded that children who have limited vocabulary and language skills at age 5 are more likely to have lower literacy levels in adulthood.  However, the study also found that adults who overcame this childhood language deficit were most often those who were read to by their parents. "Our study suggests that reading to a child might also have long-term beneficial effects," [Dr. Ingrid Schoon] said.