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by Kudzu_Bob 4636 days ago
I guess poor children hear fewer words because they don't watch much television.
2 comments

It's the opposite, actually: poor children watch much more television, because their parents don't have time to spend with them.

And it's the words spoken by those parents that matter.

It has been suggested that television isn't itself harmful, and is only correlated with poor outcomes because it displaces time that would otherwise spent on actual interaction.

Reference for "poor children watch more television": http://thegrio.com/2012/10/01/study-children-from-african-am...
actually this is a question that I had - could mediums like television, or a tablet app make up for the parents not talking ?

Or does it need for the child to speak back ?

"Screen time" (TV, tablets) has been demonstrated to be harmful to childhood development in children younger than 2. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends ZERO screen time for children younger than two (this includes background TV).

Some carefully planned educational programs like Sesame Street have shown to be beneficial in older children. Screen time should be minimized though, as it isn't a replacement for interaction.

Does do read the article, it teaches the parent to avoid commands like "put your shoes on" and instead substitute interactive talk like "we are getting ready to go out, what do you need to do to get ready?" That lets the child reply with "shoes" or "coat." It is about interacting with your child.

Conversation needs to be interactive and needs to respond to what the child is saying.

You need to repeat what the infant is saying. This is to let the infant know that you've heard them, and understood what they said. It's also to model correct pronunciation without criticising. And you then spin off the conversation to thinking and imagination and play.

"Look! A fire emiGGen!!"

"Yes! It's a fire engine! What do you think they're doing?"

(The 'sing song' voice we use to speak to young children feels silly. But apparently it's important.)

Television and tablets have their place, I guess. Some of the CBeebies content (Children's tv from the BBC) is good. And children need some empty relaxing time.