The researchers noticed some interesting patterns:
• The amount of speech directed to the child varied a lot – One family said more than 12,000 words to their child, while another family said only 670 words to their child over the course of the day. Researcher Fernald stated, “that’s just 67 words per hour, less speech than you’d hear in a 30-second commercial” [2].
• Children who heard more speech directed to them had better speech-processing skills – These children learned to pay better attention to words and respond quickly when hearing speech.
• Children who heard more speech directed to them at 19 months knew more words at 24 months – This was due to their improved ability to process speech. Therefore, talking to children promotes their word learning by sharpening their ability to pay attention to and process new words quickly
• Overheard speech did not affect children’s vocabulary size – Just being exposed to speech that is spoken to others in the environment or on TV is not enough to improve early vocabulary development. Toddlers learn language when they engage in enjoyable interactions with those around them [2].
Talking to children promotes their word learning by sharpening their ability to pay attention and process new words quickly.