The importance of parents’ language stimulation for their preschoolers and its impact on cognitive development
An article was published in the New Yorker in January 2015 entitled The Talking Cure. Researchers followed families of preschoolers from various different socio economic levels and described the differences in language development based on verbal interactions that manifest in tremendously different outcomes in both comprehension and language acquisition and competence. Read full article....
Read MoreCell phone mania
Have you noticed how many moms are pushing a stroller while talking on their cell phones? I have often thought about the consequences of spending so much time on our cell phones that we are replacing time spent conversing and explaining to our babies and toddlers with amusing ourselves talking on cell phones and being distracted from our children. For most children this probably doesn’t really effect their language acquisition. However, if you suspect your child may have difficulty...
Read MoreQuality of words
I read in today’s NY Times an article entitle “Quality of Words, Not Quantity” Is Crucial to Language Skills, Study Finds” that researchers have determined that the greatest predictor of competence in child language is not the number of words the child has been exposed to but rather the quality of the conversation. It was always assumed that children from low income families were exposed to at least 3 million words less than children from middle class families. To quote Kathryn...
Read MoreWelcome to Ruth White’s Blog
Please check this blog regularly for updates and information.
Read MoreAbout Ruth
Ruth White has been working as a speech language pathologist for over twenty years. She has worked with all ages, and in a variety of settings, including special education administration.