Born Smart

There are many baby DVD products on the market today, however the best thing you can do for your baby’s speech is to switch the television off.

Whilst it has been a well known fact that television before the age of two cause language delays, the exact reason for this has not been clear.  A new study looked into why television causes delay in language.

Researchers found that when the television is on there are fewer conversations. An adult will typically utter 941 words per hour, the study authors found that once the television is switched on adult words were almost completely eliminated.

If you want to help your baby develop good language skills, switch the television off and talk to your baby. Reading singing playing and music are excellent for good language development.

Researchers gave the following tips for parents;

For babies:   Avoid TV for babies under age two.

For children over age two: If you allow TV time, choose age-appropriate programs.

Involve older children in setting guidelines for what to watch. Use guides and ratings to help, but beware of unproven claims that programs or DVDs are educational. Even cartoons produced for children can be violent or over stimulating.

Limit TV time to no more than two hours per day. Less is better. Keep TV off during meals.

Set “media-free” days, and plan other fun things to do. Avoid using TV as a reward. Turn off TV when a chosen program is over.   Don’t leave TV on as background filler or while engaging in  other activities.

When no one is actively watching, turn TV off. Watch TV with your child.  Talk about what you see and engage with your child about the content. Keep TVs out of bedrooms.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090601182830.htm