In Infants’ Brain Responses to Social Interaction Predict Future Language Growth, a group of experts led by Patricia Kuhl at the University of Washington, outlined three essential strategies parents use with their infants: (1) parentese (i.e., sing-song speech directed to the infant), (2) responding to the baby’s actions and vocalizations, and (3) reacting positively through mutual eye-gaze and smiling. This ensemble of techniques seems to promote communication development because it attracts the baby’s attention to speech and prepares the baby’s sensorimotor system to respond vocally, “both of which advance language learning.” Babies’ responses at five months of age to parentese, responses to their communication attempts, and being reinforced with smiling and eye contact were associated with positive language outcomes at 18, 21, 24, 27, and 30 months. Read the study to learn more about its methodology and how these findings were measured.
The ICC-Recommended Early Start Personnel Manual (ESPM) describes core knowledge and role-specific competencies needed for early intervention service provision, incorporating current research and evidence in the field of early intervention. Click here to access the ESPM. Scroll down to find the ESPM entry.
This resource is related to the following ESPM knowledge-level competencies:
- Core Knowledge (CK):
- CK2: The role of primary social and emotional relationships as the foundation for early learning.
- Evaluation and Assessment (EA):
- EA5 (EIS): Understands the effect of social context, the child’s state of health and well-being, primary language ability, and environment on assessment processes.
- Individualized Family Service Plan Implementation (IFSP-i):
- IFSP-i3 (EIS): Knows generic and specific evidence-based early intervention strategies to support all areas of development.
- IFSP-i6 (EIS): Understands the need for developmentally appropriate strategies, adaptations, assistive technologies, and other supports that maximize the child’s learning opportunities.