Helping Parents Educate Their Newborns

Photo by William Fortunato

Jo Ann Gramlich’s Talk, Play and Read with Me Mommy is an excellent toolkit for parents, old and new, to engage with their newborns and start teaching them early literacy.

For parents, their child uttering their first “proper” word—mama or dada—can be a cause for a beautiful celebration.

If a child has yet to speak their first word, or even simply utter a string of syllables before the 7th or 10th months of infancy, that can be quite concerning and troubling for any parent.

It has been shown several times in multiple studies and observations that the earlier a newborn can speak, the likelier that child will grow up to be intelligent in the future or, at the least, be ahead of their peers of the same age.

As prospective members of society, speech and communication are essential for any person.

The earlier a child’s cognitive and language skills are developed, the deeper and more stable it will be when moving forward, especially when the child is formally educated and among the same age group.

For all the parents out there raising children, whether new or old hands, always remember and never forget that learning does not only begin at school but it starts at home.

Learning begins the first moment parents start interacting with their precious little ones!

With interactive activities found in Gramlich’s Talk, Play and Read with Me Mommy, parents are empowered and guided in helping their children develop the building blocks that will help them build on and establish speech, language and literacy at an earlier age.

All parents want success for their children. 

With Talk, Play and Read with Me Mommy, parents can seize the moment and be there as their children take the first steps, begin their education early, and give their children the best chance at succeeding!

Infants’ brains are language machines.

Newborns communicate nonverbally, but their brains are already hard at work, trying to decipher what the people around them are saying, breaking down grammar rules, speech patterns, and using their understanding to produce their speech.

Don’t believe it? It’s true!

Talking more to your children and not with the stereotypical goo-goo-gaa-gaa form of gibbering commonly portrayed in media can be very beneficial and can pave the way for smoother comprehension down the road.

Communicating with your newborn boosts brain development and establishes a closer, more intimate connection between child and parent.

Parents should learn not to underestimate their children’s intelligence and always find ways to challenge them at their level.

Playing is the best mode of learning.

The best way for a child to interact with the world is through playing.  It’s natural and enjoyable for the child and helps them stay active and happy.

Parents should take every opportunity of play as a stage for children to learn with the parent’s supervision, but not in any way that hinders their freedom.

Unstructured play teaches children invaluable life skills and provides good physical and mental health. It’s okay to let children learn by exploring and being somewhat independent.

Trust is essential to a child’s development as it builds self-confidence and fosters initiative.

Children learn best by themselves with the knowledge their parent is watching over them.

Newborns love to read.

Though it’s hard to believe it, infants adore reading. 

Newborns might not understand what the letters mean, but their brains quickly make connections between what you say and the pictures they see as they take in the sounds of language and how they fit together.

Don’t underestimate your tot’s brains!

Reading to your kids isn’t only a way for them to develop literacy, but it’s also a way for them to make sense of the world.  Early reading instills in a child how text can be a stable source of information.

Frequently engaging in reading sessions with your child can be an excellent opportunity for parents and child to understand each other better and create stronger relationships.

Don’t all children want someone to read them bedtime stories before they go to sleep?

In conclusion

If there’s anything that parents can learn from Gramlich’s Talk, Play and Read with Me Mommy, it’s that children are born intelligent but this intelligence can only really grow if the parent takes their time to cultivate and foster it.