When I visualize a parent or caregiver interacting and talking to a baby, I see that baby’s brain light up, neurons popping and wiring all over the language center.  When I visualize that same baby watching TV, I see the same language center monotone, quiet, no connections being made.  Why?  Characters on TV are speaking words, singing, telling stories.  Why is a baby’s language center quiet?  Because babies need real world language interaction - real words from real people.

TV can interfere with babies learning and the sounds he or she needs to know to form those first words and then those first sentences.   A recent study in the May issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine found limited verbal interactions between parents and six month olds in front of TVs.  Is this a problem if it’s 5 minutes?  No.  Is it a problem if it’s a half hour or an hour or two hours a day?  Probably yes.  Babies’ brains grow at such a rapid rate during infancy that their language development needs a rich language environment to equip them with the sounds they need to form the wealth of words they need to be successful in speaking, reading and writing.  It all starts in infancy with the sounds they hear from those who love and care for them.  When are your favorite times to talk with your baby?

David Walsh