Dad's can help their babies to talk early, study says

Moms usually are the ones who are with babies when they grow and develop their skills. It is our moms who hear our first words first. Oftentimes, even get disappointed because they would have to hear “dada” instead of “mama”.

What can you read in this article?

• The "Father Tongue"
• Current research suggests dad's important role in baby's speech development
• More studies on dads and baby’s vocabulary
• How to teach baby how to talk...for Dads!

Mothers have a significant impact on a child’s development, especially on vocabulary. We're familiar with the term "mother tongue", which generally means the language we talk with first. The phrase itself implies that moms are mostly responsible for how to teach babies to talk. However, a recent study challenges this idea.

Its results have found that dads play an equally important role in a child's language development, particularly related to their vocabulary.

The "Father Tongue"

Popular belief states that babies learn languages from mothers only. However, that has since been proved untrue.

In 1997, scientists argued that the children obtained language through their dad's language, and not their moms. The aptly named "Father Tongue Hypothesis" was first brought up in this study, which was coordinated by Estella Poloni and researchers at Geneva University.

Poloni and her team examined if there were was anything linking language variation and genes inherited by children from both moms and dads.

In the end, Poloni concluded that variations in language were associated with genes inheritable from dads only.

In contrast, specific DNA which children can only inherit from moms seemed to have no effect on language variation.

Current research suggests dad's important role in baby's speech development

Now, let's go back to the latest study on language development in babies. The study was led by Menghan Zhang at the Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology at the University of Fudan. It aimed to identify more information on which parent is responsible for relaying language to babies.

Zhang's team coordinated their genetic-linguistic study on 34 present-day Indo-European populations.

The scientists focused on patterns visible in linking two themes: vocabulary and genes inheritable by dads only, and sounds from mothers and genes inheritable by moms only.

The study was the first to separate language into two different parts: vocabulary and sound. 

The results are very interesting when it comes to a dad's role in a baby's language development.

Babies "inherit" vocabulary from their dads, and due to a specific set of dad’s genes being passed down.  Similarly, babies learn to pronounce words and sounds from mom because she passes down another set of genes. 

These findings strongly challenge our previous ideas about how infants obtain language. Zhang's team may have successfully eliminated the "Father Tongue Hypothesis" and "Mother Tongue Hypothesis" we are all familiar with by combining them instead!

More studies on dads and baby’s vocabulary

Reading with your child is a good way to develop your child's vocabulary. | Image Source: Shutterstock

Additionally, research conducted by the College of New Jersey in 2010 looked at low-income, two-parent rural families. They discovered that shared picture-book reading with dads who used a wide vocabulary had a substantial impact on the child's language development at 15 months and subsequently at 36 months for toddlers as young as 6 months.

Moreover, researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Frank Porter Graham (FPG) Child Development Institute and UNC's School of Education discovered that in families with two working parents, fathers had a greater impact on their children's language development than mothers of children between the ages of two and three.

They learned this from seeing dads engage and play with their toddlers, as well as the words they used. When children whose fathers employed more diverse vocabularies were assessed one year later, children had better language development; the mother's vocabulary had no influence.

How to teach baby how to talk...for Dads!

Parents, as can be seen from this study, have a role to play in developing their child's language... and fascinatingly, it's inherited!

And while much focus is on mom's role in baby's speech development, it is significant to know that dads can now be a part of baby’s development. Because yes, your role is equally important!

Here are some tips especially for dads to help you speed up your baby's language development, in addition to your "genetic gift" of vocabulary.

Interact with your child as often as possible

According to some studies, babies that are exposed to television, learn six words less than their non-tv-viewing counterparts

So dads, minimize (or eliminate) screen-time and talk to your baby instead. You can also read stories or rhymes. Try to make communicating something really fun for your baby.

Help your baby learn the names of things

Object labeling is an important way for dads to help their child’s language development. Dads can point to an object while saying, “This is ______.”

But this should be done normally with dads just following the lead of their babies. Make sure that your timing is correct so your baby can associate the right label with an object.

While doing object labeling, you can use exaggerated motions to attract your baby’s attention. This practice makes the experience, not just auditory but visual as well.

Other tips

• During playtime with your baby, position yourself at his level to ensure good eye contact. This may mean you have to lie on your tummy if your little one is sitting on the floor.
• When going about with chores in the house or when you are out and about with your baby, talk about the things you see, hear, touch or smell. Doing so helps him establish an association with his five senses as well as pique his curiosity.
• If your baby says something incorrectly, mention the right word or words immediately after.
• Read widely and often. Exposure to books has been proven to heighten interest in reading and the language, as well as build a healthy habit from a young.
• Children learn best when their interest level is in place, so get creative and have fun!

Signs baby will talk soon

Even before babies start speaking, as in words, they have already been communicating at a very young age through noises and gestures.

According to Phil Boucher, the doctor in Lincoln, Nebraska and host of the “Parenting Matters” podcast, babies are already conveying a message through these noises and gestures even before they learn how to speak.

At 4 to 6 months, your baby will start babbling and gurgling. Boucher explains that the first language of babies is coos and the like, which are intentional because they use the back of their throats rather than their tongues to make the first noises.

Overtime, they discover that if they do this cue, they will get a reaction from mom or dad. For example, “Ahh, cooing may make mama or papa smile.”

At 7 to 11 months old, babies start to learn vowels and consonants, saying words such as ‘muh’, ‘duh’, and ‘guh’. ‘D’ sounds are easier to produce for babies, thus, they may say “Dada” first than “mama.” At this age, babies also start to engage with the things he sees like pointing at objects nearby or getting his parents’ attention.

At 12 to 18 months, babies won’t just say “dada” for no reason. They will now say this word to specifically call their dad’s attention.

As at this age, they will begin to associate words with meanings. By the time they are 15 months old, they usually have 3-5 words. And by 18 months old, they may 8-10 words, which may include the names of persons close to them as well as body parts.

At 2 years old, Boucher says your child may experience what he calls the “word explosion” where you’ll lose track of how many words he is able to speak. He picks up new one every single day and uses these to form phrases and sentences. Boucher says that “two-year-olds should be able to put 2-word sentences together and have anywhere from 100 to 300 words.”

Baby first words list

Here are the 15 most common words that can make it to your baby first words list:

1. Mama
2. Mommy
3. Dada
4. Daddy
5. Papa
6. Uh-Oh
7. Ball
8. Yes
9. Stop
10. No
11. Up
12. Down
13. Bye
14. All Done
15. Here

Has your baby mentioned one of these words from the baby first words list yet?

Home remedies for late talking child

It is truly exciting to wait and watch your baby talk but if you notice signs that your baby may be a late talker, that’s fine! Babies grow and develop differently, give your child more time to grow and discover things on her own while you help her progress through home remedies for late talking child.

First, let’s take a look at some of the symptoms of speech and language delays in babies.

1. He doesn’t respond to your or your husband’s voice.
2. She doesn’t respond when her name is being called (at 9 months).
3. He seems to be unable to hear well.
4. She appears to be in her own world.
5. He is not startled by loud, sudden noises.
6. She is not comprehensible by others and has a mild comprehension delay for her age.
7. He has a history of ear infections.
8. She does not imitate words she hears.
9. You have a family history of communication delay.
10. He has difficulty playing with peers.

Home remedies for late talking child speech and language development

Here are a few remedies you can do to assist your late-talking child and improve his speech and language development.

1. Sign language

Use an alternative form of communication to facilitate language development.

2. Music

Use music and teach them how to sing. Some children learn to sing first before they can even speak.

3. Vitamins

A recent study in Australia identified a link between vitamin D insufficiency and speech and language deficits in 750 pregnant mothers and their children over the course of ten years. Children with language impairments were twice as likely to be born to mothers who had poor vitamin levels during pregnancy.

Vitamin D is significant for brain development and function.

4. Use statements, not questions

Statements are more effective when communicating with late talkers. Speech therapist Linda Murphy believes that “when the pressure to speak is minimized, speech flows more freely.”

So instead of asking questions, you may instead tell them statements like, “The weather is not good today”, “It’s raining”, “It’s cold, we need a blanket”.

5. Let your child imitate what you say

Train them by directly telling them what to say. Like, “Say, more. More.” However, if a child doesn’t want to speak or doesn’t know how to, this is not the answer to it.

6. Slow down

Try to talk slowly and more clearly. It is important for you to speak slowly so your baby can understand and respond word by word, sentence by sentence, and its meaning.

Symptoms doesn’t improve? What should you do?

1. Notice and take note of the signs.
2. Make an appointment with a speech-language pathologist to discuss your concerns.
3. Have your child's hearing checked - even if you think he can hear perfectly, it's crucial to make sure he can hear sounds at different volumes and pitches. Speech and language development can be hampered by even minor hearing abnormalities.
4. Visit the American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA) website to know more about speech delay and disorders.

Sources:

Eureka Alert, Business Insider, Speech Buddy, Science Daily, US National Library of Medicine, Today, Focus on your child, The Hanen Centre, Friendship circle

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