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| Probably lots of turn-taking, tuning in, and talking happening during this Lego play session at the LEPMPL library |
The University of Chicago Medical School is working with families to help them learn ways to talk with their kids that will help close the often-cited 30 million word gap (kids from low income families can hear 30 million fewer words than their higher-income peers). The Thirty Million Word Initiative has some great videos of families talking about its impact on their website. They recommend the 3 Ts:
Tune In by paying attention to what your child is communicating to you
Talk More with your child by using descriptive words to build vocabulary
Take Turns by encouraging your child to respond to your words and actions
The Association for Library Service to Children also has a series of posters called Babies Need Words Every Day that are free for download.