What can parents do to enhance their child’s language development, a key to school success? Prior research has established higher socioeconomic status relates to greater verbal ability in children. 

Brain and cognitive scientists studied language development and brain activation. They measured back and forth conversation as related to brain area activation for 36 children, ages 4 to 6 years.  At-home, parents recorded two full days of their parent/child conversations. The children completed a standardized test measuring their verbal and non-verbal skills. Then children underwent brain mapping imaging (fMRI) while passively listening to short stories. 

Results?  Children who had more back and forth conversational turns with their parents, exhibited greater frontal brain activity (in Broca’s area) and tested higher in language skills. Exchanging conversation developed greater language ability than socioeconomic status or number of words heard. 

Parents!  Talk with your baby, not only at your baby. Encourage babies, your children to respond and carry on a back and forth conversation. Ask questions, their opinion, answer questions. Tell them what, when, where, and why you are doing what you are. Share your thoughts, songs, your plans. Converse with your child, stimulate their brains!

Written by Vanessa Melendez, B.S.

Reference: Romeo, R. R., Leonard, J. A., Robinson, S. T., West, M. R., Mackey, A. P., Rowe, M. L., & Gabrieli, J. D. (2018). Beyond the 30-million-Word Gap: Children’s conversational exposure is associated with language-related brain function. Psychological Science, 29(5), 700–710.