Everyday talk · 2 min read
Talk with your child, not at them
Back-and-forth chats matter more than the number of words they hear.
You don't need to narrate your whole day. What helps most is the back-and-forth.
A 2018 MIT and Harvard study found that the number of conversational turns kids had with adults was linked to stronger language brain activity. That held up regardless of family income.
A turn can be tiny. Your toddler points, you name it, they babble back. That counts.
Short, real exchanges in the car or at bath time add up fast.
Try this: Ask one question, then wait 5 seconds. Let them take their turn.
Sources
General information, not a diagnosis. Joey supports, and never replaces, qualified speech-language professionals.
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