What is one way to support language development in infants?

Engaging in interactive talk and reading aloud plays a vital role in supporting language development in infants. When caregivers actively converse with infants, they provide rich verbal input that helps babies learn the sounds and rhythms of language. This interaction can include using simple words, repeating phrases, and varying tone and pitch to capture the baby's attention and interest.

Reading aloud is equally beneficial as it exposes infants to vocabulary, sentence structure, and narrative flow in an enjoyable format. Through these activities, infants not only hear new words but also begin to understand the context and meaning behind them. The back-and-forth exchanges in interactive talk further promote their ability to recognize and eventually produce language, as infants learn to take turns in conversation, mimic sounds, and respond to prompts.

By fostering dynamic verbal interaction, caregivers help create a stimulating language-rich environment that is crucial for healthy language development during the early months of life.