Loading video...

Video Failed to Load

Go Home

What can these five babies teach us about language development? This week I’ve been exploring the stages of infant language acquisition. And today, I’ve done something special: curated a compilation of five videos tracing the progression of infant vocalizations over time. As you watch, note that each new clip...

DanWuori's profile picture

Dan Wuori

148,395 subscribers

123,907 views • 1 year ago •via X (Twitter)

EducationScience & Technology
LIVE

Anya Rossi• Live Now

Private livecam show

10 Comments

Maris McMort's profile picture
Maris McMort1 year ago

Maybe for Christmas, Dan, you’ll give us an hour-long special? I could honestly watch your videos all day long, such a treat every day. x

Dan Wuori's profile picture
Dan Wuori1 year ago

You never know! Now that I’ve mastered the video editing skills of every 12 year old on TT the sky’s the limit! 🤣😂🤣

Ruthann617's profile picture
Ruthann6171 year ago

Baby number five!!! When my first started “conversing” like this, I would ask her a question and she would respond “Yes!” Followed by an animated string of babbling with facial expressions and hand gestures! It was amazing and hysterical !!!

Sydney Freedberg's profile picture
Sydney Freedberg1 year ago

One thing I miss is the highly expressive foot wiggles of the early, uncoordinated stage. When our firstborn was very new, she would greet us in the morning with what we called a “full body wriggle,” smiling and curling up and waving all four pudgy little limbs in the air.

Scotty Deez's profile picture
Scotty Deez1 year ago

These are the best and make my heart smile and bring back memories of my two children. Thanks.

Liv Efetobor's profile picture
Liv Efetobor1 year ago

My 6 week old daughter is cooing and smiling a lot. Just like the first baby. 2 weeks ago she was silent and looking pissed off so I love this new development.

Carmine Fields's profile picture
Carmine Fields1 year ago

I worked with toddlers and preschoolers for many years. I love little boys, but little girls are a special glimpse into the developing human mind because their communication is so much better, so much earlier. You’ll get these complicated stories of their worldview.

Liz🌿's profile picture
Liz🌿1 year ago

Thank you so much for this compilation. I'm bookmarking to possibly share with families I work with. It's helpful information when babies don't follow this progression. And interesting to think about how sometimes these kiddos become verbal but follow a different path.

Laura Wiley Haynes's profile picture
Laura Wiley Haynes1 year ago

Lat baby: the chin jut - fantastic 😂🤣

Strikketanten - gargoyless of Hecate's profile picture
Strikketanten - gargoyless of Hecate1 year ago

Our youngest was raised in a bilingual family, dominated by Danish because we outnumbered his Anglophone father 3 to 1. At four months, beginner babbler, we went to the UK to visit friends and family. When we boarded the ferry in Esbjerg, no other passengers spoke Danish, 1/

Related Videos

Here’s one of the most fascinating child development videos I’ve ever shared. As your baby learns language, they begin by approximating the examples you set. After a period of early experimentation with sound (including cries, coos and gurgles), infants begin babbling - making speech-like sounds (which often include components of conventional speech) that are - nonetheless - not yet conventionally meaningful. This babbling phase is a precursor to the use of formal words. And it happens in all languages. Including sign language. This video shows an infant (who, by the way, is not hearing impaired) “babbling” to her deaf grandparents. As they sign to her, she responds in kind, using her hands to approximate the signed communication that they are modeling. It’s a whole serve and return conversation, just as if they were conversing verbally. If you’ll watch carefully, you’ll note distinct turn taking. And - interestingly - that with her grandparents she largely avoids vocalizations, in favor of gesture. What a treat to see this rich example of bilingual language development. This fascinating video was shared to TT by mara_mccullough.
1:14

Here’s one of the most fascinating child development videos I’ve ever shared. As your baby learns language, they begin by approximating the examples you set. After a period of early experimentation with sound (including cries, coos and gurgles), infants begin babbling - making speech-like sounds (which often include components of conventional speech) that are - nonetheless - not yet conventionally meaningful. This babbling phase is a precursor to the use of formal words. And it happens in all languages. Including sign language. This video shows an infant (who, by the way, is not hearing impaired) “babbling” to her deaf grandparents. As they sign to her, she responds in kind, using her hands to approximate the signed communication that they are modeling. It’s a whole serve and return conversation, just as if they were conversing verbally. If you’ll watch carefully, you’ll note distinct turn taking. And - interestingly - that with her grandparents she largely avoids vocalizations, in favor of gesture. What a treat to see this rich example of bilingual language development. This fascinating video was shared to TT by mara_mccullough.

Dan Wuori

2,902,083 views • 2 years ago

Infants are the world’s most accomplished language learners. As the process unfolds, children pass through stages of progressively more complex “babbling” before they begin using conventional words. But babbling isn’t limited to spoken language. Deaf children and the children of deaf parents pass through similar stages as they approximate the use of sign language - which brings us to this video, shared to IG by oursignedworld. Watch how locked in this little guy is as he “speaks” with his deaf father, observing dad’s sign language and then “babbling” back with his arms and hands. In time he will become both an accomplished signer and speaker. What a lovely example of language acquisition in process.
1:05

Infants are the world’s most accomplished language learners. As the process unfolds, children pass through stages of progressively more complex “babbling” before they begin using conventional words. But babbling isn’t limited to spoken language. Deaf children and the children of deaf parents pass through similar stages as they approximate the use of sign language - which brings us to this video, shared to IG by oursignedworld. Watch how locked in this little guy is as he “speaks” with his deaf father, observing dad’s sign language and then “babbling” back with his arms and hands. In time he will become both an accomplished signer and speaker. What a lovely example of language acquisition in process.

Dan Wuori

107,170 views • 11 months ago

Language has its own special genres. And your toddler is working to master them all. Yesterday I shared a fantastic video example of a toddler engaged in a pretend phone call. He took conversational turns, laughed at his imaginary partner’s joke, and knew to end the call with a goodbye and pressing the “end call” button on his toy telephone. At less than 2 years old, he had the phone call genre down pat. Today here’s another amazing example: the bedtime story. Watch as this little one takes over “reading” duties - turning the tables on her adoring dad. I’ve shared lots of reading videos before, but this one is notable in its complexity. Listen as she uses variegated babbling (remember this from two weeks ago… it’s babbling that combines a wide variety of syllables and sounds) to recount a lengthy story for dad. Listen as well to the tone and rhythm of her voice. It’s the same soft, flowy, and expressive style he uses to help calm her as she begins preparing to drift off to sleep post story. I’d say this little one has the “bedtime story” genre on lock. Isn’t it amazing to see how children concurrently learn not just language, but the different contexts and styles of its use? Just fantastic. This amazing little storyteller was shared to IG by walking_faith_4u.
0:40

Language has its own special genres. And your toddler is working to master them all. Yesterday I shared a fantastic video example of a toddler engaged in a pretend phone call. He took conversational turns, laughed at his imaginary partner’s joke, and knew to end the call with a goodbye and pressing the “end call” button on his toy telephone. At less than 2 years old, he had the phone call genre down pat. Today here’s another amazing example: the bedtime story. Watch as this little one takes over “reading” duties - turning the tables on her adoring dad. I’ve shared lots of reading videos before, but this one is notable in its complexity. Listen as she uses variegated babbling (remember this from two weeks ago… it’s babbling that combines a wide variety of syllables and sounds) to recount a lengthy story for dad. Listen as well to the tone and rhythm of her voice. It’s the same soft, flowy, and expressive style he uses to help calm her as she begins preparing to drift off to sleep post story. I’d say this little one has the “bedtime story” genre on lock. Isn’t it amazing to see how children concurrently learn not just language, but the different contexts and styles of its use? Just fantastic. This amazing little storyteller was shared to IG by walking_faith_4u.

Dan Wuori

53,783 views • 1 year ago

Language has its own special genres. And your toddler is working to master them all. Not long ago, I shared a fantastic video example of a toddler engaged in a pretend phone call. He took conversational turns, laughed at his imaginary partner’s joke, and knew to end the call with a goodbye and pressing the “end call” button on his toy telephone. At less than 2 years old, he had the phone call genre down pat. Here’s another amazing example (shared to IG by walking_faith_4u): the bedtime story. Watch as this little one takes over “reading” duties - turning the tables on her adoring dad. I’ve shared lots of reading videos before, but this one is notable in its complexity. Listen as she uses variegated babbling (which combines a wide variety of syllables and sounds) to recount a lengthy story for dad. Listen as well to the tone and rhythm of her voice. It’s the same soft, flowy, and expressive style he uses to help calm her as she begins preparing to drift off to sleep post story. I’d say this little one has the “bedtime story” genre on lock. Isn’t it amazing to see how children concurrently learn not just language, but the different contexts and styles of its use? Just fantastic.
0:40

Language has its own special genres. And your toddler is working to master them all. Not long ago, I shared a fantastic video example of a toddler engaged in a pretend phone call. He took conversational turns, laughed at his imaginary partner’s joke, and knew to end the call with a goodbye and pressing the “end call” button on his toy telephone. At less than 2 years old, he had the phone call genre down pat. Here’s another amazing example (shared to IG by walking_faith_4u): the bedtime story. Watch as this little one takes over “reading” duties - turning the tables on her adoring dad. I’ve shared lots of reading videos before, but this one is notable in its complexity. Listen as she uses variegated babbling (which combines a wide variety of syllables and sounds) to recount a lengthy story for dad. Listen as well to the tone and rhythm of her voice. It’s the same soft, flowy, and expressive style he uses to help calm her as she begins preparing to drift off to sleep post story. I’d say this little one has the “bedtime story” genre on lock. Isn’t it amazing to see how children concurrently learn not just language, but the different contexts and styles of its use? Just fantastic.

Dan Wuori

83,896 views • 1 year ago

From 0 to 60 in X seconds… For years that’s been one of the benchmarks used by auto manufacturers to describe the rapid acceleration of the world’s most powerful cars. It’s also a perfect metaphor to wrap up two weeks of posts focused on the language acquisition of young children. Babies enter the world with cries and gurgles… advance rapidly to complex forms of babbling, and generally speak their first words within a year. Their vocabularies growing exponentially, they begin stringing simple sentences together shortly thereafter and by two years of age, become surprisingly powerful little communicators. From 0 to 60 in just a little more than 24 months. It’s really amazing to witness. I began this series with video of a baby’s first sounds, captured in a hospital maternity ward. So what better way to conclude it than with an example of the end result? I got such a kick out of listening to this little one, age two, discussing her exasperation over the family dog’s need to bark at… well, everything. Check out not only her complex vocabulary and grammar, but her expression and tone… The way her personality is exposed through her vocalizations. Listening to her it’s hard to imagine that roughly 18 months prior she’d not yet spoken a single conventional word. Talk about acceleration! 🏎️ Of course this isn’t truly the end point for language development. Her vocabulary will continue to grow throughout her lifetime, for example… but the foundations of her lifelong success have been laid… transforming not only her ability to communicate but the very ways she is able to think. Language is arguably humankind’s most powerful tool. And it’s mastered rapidly by its most efficient and precocious little learners. This fantastic video was shared to IG by harperraeels.
0:55

From 0 to 60 in X seconds… For years that’s been one of the benchmarks used by auto manufacturers to describe the rapid acceleration of the world’s most powerful cars. It’s also a perfect metaphor to wrap up two weeks of posts focused on the language acquisition of young children. Babies enter the world with cries and gurgles… advance rapidly to complex forms of babbling, and generally speak their first words within a year. Their vocabularies growing exponentially, they begin stringing simple sentences together shortly thereafter and by two years of age, become surprisingly powerful little communicators. From 0 to 60 in just a little more than 24 months. It’s really amazing to witness. I began this series with video of a baby’s first sounds, captured in a hospital maternity ward. So what better way to conclude it than with an example of the end result? I got such a kick out of listening to this little one, age two, discussing her exasperation over the family dog’s need to bark at… well, everything. Check out not only her complex vocabulary and grammar, but her expression and tone… The way her personality is exposed through her vocalizations. Listening to her it’s hard to imagine that roughly 18 months prior she’d not yet spoken a single conventional word. Talk about acceleration! 🏎️ Of course this isn’t truly the end point for language development. Her vocabulary will continue to grow throughout her lifetime, for example… but the foundations of her lifelong success have been laid… transforming not only her ability to communicate but the very ways she is able to think. Language is arguably humankind’s most powerful tool. And it’s mastered rapidly by its most efficient and precocious little learners. This fantastic video was shared to IG by harperraeels.

Dan Wuori

101,413 views • 1 year ago

Mom’s little apprentice.👩🏻‍🍼 As children grow and learn, their play becomes increasingly sophisticated. I’ve written often about how toddlers begin their imaginary play close to home, emulating the important adults in their lives. But, in time, their play becomes less tethered to their day-to-day reality. One key to this transition is the emergence of “symbolic play” - which is just what it sounds like. Beginning around 18-months of age, children begin using one object to represent (or symbolize) another. A wooden block might become a car. A banana could become a telephone. And a shoe can become a baby! I’ve shared a lot of videos on this platform, but few that I’ve loved more than this one - which offers a fantastic snapshot of this transition in action. Occupying herself during a long church service, our hero (age: 2 years, 8 months) engages in some imaginary play - silently emulating the caregiving of her parents, but using a shoe to represent a baby of her own. Notice how attentive and tender she is. It’s just beautiful. In time her play will begin shifting toward more and more fantasy. But for now, that’s one well-attended “baby.” This little mother-in-training was shared to IG by edlainevaunacorrea.
0:55

Mom’s little apprentice.👩🏻‍🍼 As children grow and learn, their play becomes increasingly sophisticated. I’ve written often about how toddlers begin their imaginary play close to home, emulating the important adults in their lives. But, in time, their play becomes less tethered to their day-to-day reality. One key to this transition is the emergence of “symbolic play” - which is just what it sounds like. Beginning around 18-months of age, children begin using one object to represent (or symbolize) another. A wooden block might become a car. A banana could become a telephone. And a shoe can become a baby! I’ve shared a lot of videos on this platform, but few that I’ve loved more than this one - which offers a fantastic snapshot of this transition in action. Occupying herself during a long church service, our hero (age: 2 years, 8 months) engages in some imaginary play - silently emulating the caregiving of her parents, but using a shoe to represent a baby of her own. Notice how attentive and tender she is. It’s just beautiful. In time her play will begin shifting toward more and more fantasy. But for now, that’s one well-attended “baby.” This little mother-in-training was shared to IG by edlainevaunacorrea.

Dan Wuori

202,895 views • 2 years ago

Your baby learns to speak - not just from listening - but from watching. 👀 I’ve written many times about the keen observational powers of babies. Infants are expert observers of their parents’ faces, which (among other lessons) provide important clues as to how mom and dad manage to make those wonderful sounds that come out of their mouths. But I’ve rarely seen this point better illustrated than in this fantastic video shared to TT by goldenlvngz. Watch carefully and you’ll note that our hero’s eyes remain laser focused on Mom’s mouth. It’s not as simple as hearing the word “mama” and replicating it quite yet. First there’s the question of just how exactly one uses their mouth to make the “ma” sound. Watch as baby makes multiple, silent attempts to mimic the movement of mom’s mouth, before attempting to voice the word himself. The first couple tries produce a visually similar sound: “ba.” But after several more attempts and a little more modeling from Mom, the sound rings out at last: “Ma.” One of the most interesting videos I think I’ve ever shared. A fascinating window on his language learning.
0:58

Your baby learns to speak - not just from listening - but from watching. 👀 I’ve written many times about the keen observational powers of babies. Infants are expert observers of their parents’ faces, which (among other lessons) provide important clues as to how mom and dad manage to make those wonderful sounds that come out of their mouths. But I’ve rarely seen this point better illustrated than in this fantastic video shared to TT by goldenlvngz. Watch carefully and you’ll note that our hero’s eyes remain laser focused on Mom’s mouth. It’s not as simple as hearing the word “mama” and replicating it quite yet. First there’s the question of just how exactly one uses their mouth to make the “ma” sound. Watch as baby makes multiple, silent attempts to mimic the movement of mom’s mouth, before attempting to voice the word himself. The first couple tries produce a visually similar sound: “ba.” But after several more attempts and a little more modeling from Mom, the sound rings out at last: “Ma.” One of the most interesting videos I think I’ve ever shared. A fascinating window on his language learning.

Dan Wuori

121,282 views • 1 year ago

Your baby learns to speak - not just from listening - but from watching. 👀 I’ve written many times about the keen observational powers of babies. Infants are expert observers of their parents’ faces, which (among other lessons) provide important clues as to how mom and dad manage to make those wonderful sounds that come out of their mouths. But I’ve rarely seen this point better illustrated than in this fantastic video shared to TT by goldenlvngz. Watch carefully and you’ll note that our hero’s eyes remain laser focused on Mom’s mouth. It’s not as simple as hearing the word “mama” and replicating it quite yet. First there’s the question of just how exactly one uses their mouth to make the “ma” sound. Watch as baby makes multiple, silent attempts to mimic the movement of mom’s mouth, before attempting to voice the word himself. The first couple tries produce a visually similar sound: “ba.” But after several more attempts and a little more modeling from Mom, the sound rings out at last: “Ma.” One of the most interesting videos I think I’ve ever shared. A fascinating window on his language learning.
0:57

Your baby learns to speak - not just from listening - but from watching. 👀 I’ve written many times about the keen observational powers of babies. Infants are expert observers of their parents’ faces, which (among other lessons) provide important clues as to how mom and dad manage to make those wonderful sounds that come out of their mouths. But I’ve rarely seen this point better illustrated than in this fantastic video shared to TT by goldenlvngz. Watch carefully and you’ll note that our hero’s eyes remain laser focused on Mom’s mouth. It’s not as simple as hearing the word “mama” and replicating it quite yet. First there’s the question of just how exactly one uses their mouth to make the “ma” sound. Watch as baby makes multiple, silent attempts to mimic the movement of mom’s mouth, before attempting to voice the word himself. The first couple tries produce a visually similar sound: “ba.” But after several more attempts and a little more modeling from Mom, the sound rings out at last: “Ma.” One of the most interesting videos I think I’ve ever shared. A fascinating window on his language learning.

Dan Wuori

102,157 views • 1 year ago

Talk about wonderment! 🐠 One of the most important and educational things you can do for your baby is expose them to a wide variety of sensory experiences. New sights, sounds, textures, smells, and (as your baby is ready) tastes. I just love this video of a five-month-old’s first visit to an aquarium. It’s like you can see his brain lighting up… his eyes wide and his vocalizations a nonstop expression of his joy. But you don’t need access to an aquarium to provide the same benefits. Simply look for opportunities that allow your little one to experience the world from new and interesting vantage points. Visit a park. Explore the grocery store. There’s so much to learn when we help children step outside of their regular day to day experience. Imagine, for example, all the rich, new vocabulary this trip is exposing our hero to as dad describes and names the new sights the pair is seeing. Isn’t the world amazing when we can see it again for the very first time? This awestruck little guy was shared to TT by ritarobalolopes.
0:34

Talk about wonderment! 🐠 One of the most important and educational things you can do for your baby is expose them to a wide variety of sensory experiences. New sights, sounds, textures, smells, and (as your baby is ready) tastes. I just love this video of a five-month-old’s first visit to an aquarium. It’s like you can see his brain lighting up… his eyes wide and his vocalizations a nonstop expression of his joy. But you don’t need access to an aquarium to provide the same benefits. Simply look for opportunities that allow your little one to experience the world from new and interesting vantage points. Visit a park. Explore the grocery store. There’s so much to learn when we help children step outside of their regular day to day experience. Imagine, for example, all the rich, new vocabulary this trip is exposing our hero to as dad describes and names the new sights the pair is seeing. Isn’t the world amazing when we can see it again for the very first time? This awestruck little guy was shared to TT by ritarobalolopes.

Dan Wuori

118,465 views • 1 year ago

How does language begin? There’s a lot of important growth and development that occurs during the 45 month window from prenatal to age three. But among infancy’s greatest accomplishments is language acquisition. So over the coming week I’m going to dedicate this space to a series of posts on the sequential growth of language, which you may be surprised to learn begins even before birth. As your baby’s hearing activates between 18-20 weeks of gestation, they begin hearing their first sounds: Mom’s heartbeat, digestive rumblings, and voice. As you might imagine, sound isn’t crystal clear in the amniotic sac. (It’s not a perfect comparison, but consider how your own hearing changes under water in a swimming pool. You can still hear, but the sounds are muffled and significantly degraded.) For this and other reasons, your baby isn’t absorbing specific vocabulary at this point, but there’s little question that they are beginning to familiarize themselves with not only the tones/sound of their mother’s voice, but the distinct rhythms and patterns of her native language. We’re still only beginning to understand prenatal learning, but research demonstrates that in the minutes and hours immediately after birth, newborns already recognize their mother’s voice and can distinguish (and prefer) their own native language. That’s right: at birth babies’ brains have already begun organizing themselves around their mothers’ native languages. Pretty remarkable, no? It’s the first step in a miraculous process by which young children acquire complex linguistic ability over a period of just months. As for this precious little one, just minutes old, watch how he calms from a cry to an instant silence when exposed to the clear and familiar sound of his mother’s voice. Tomorrow we’ll look at the earliest forms of vocalization. This beautiful video was shared to YT by @lashaviouskirk9862.
0:24

How does language begin? There’s a lot of important growth and development that occurs during the 45 month window from prenatal to age three. But among infancy’s greatest accomplishments is language acquisition. So over the coming week I’m going to dedicate this space to a series of posts on the sequential growth of language, which you may be surprised to learn begins even before birth. As your baby’s hearing activates between 18-20 weeks of gestation, they begin hearing their first sounds: Mom’s heartbeat, digestive rumblings, and voice. As you might imagine, sound isn’t crystal clear in the amniotic sac. (It’s not a perfect comparison, but consider how your own hearing changes under water in a swimming pool. You can still hear, but the sounds are muffled and significantly degraded.) For this and other reasons, your baby isn’t absorbing specific vocabulary at this point, but there’s little question that they are beginning to familiarize themselves with not only the tones/sound of their mother’s voice, but the distinct rhythms and patterns of her native language. We’re still only beginning to understand prenatal learning, but research demonstrates that in the minutes and hours immediately after birth, newborns already recognize their mother’s voice and can distinguish (and prefer) their own native language. That’s right: at birth babies’ brains have already begun organizing themselves around their mothers’ native languages. Pretty remarkable, no? It’s the first step in a miraculous process by which young children acquire complex linguistic ability over a period of just months. As for this precious little one, just minutes old, watch how he calms from a cry to an instant silence when exposed to the clear and familiar sound of his mother’s voice. Tomorrow we’ll look at the earliest forms of vocalization. This beautiful video was shared to YT by @lashaviouskirk9862.

Dan Wuori

121,931 views • 1 year ago

Do babies develop accents even before they can speak conventionally? The short answer is yes… and these linguistic markers begin even sooner than you might think. So many of you tagged me in this video yesterday featuring an infant that babbles with the same Scouse accent as his mother. Other than “no” he doesn’t speak a single conventional word, but listen to how the rhythm and intonation of his vocalizations mirror those to which he is exposed daily. As hearing becomes functional during the third trimester, infants are exposed to the distinct patterns of their mothers’ native language - with studies suggesting newborns can already distinguish (and prefer) what will become their native tongue only hours after birth. Incredibly this learning doesn’t wait until the babbling stage to evidence itself. Research suggests that even the cries of newborns reflect this preference. That’s right: babies cry with an accent. One major study on the topic showed that French babies cry with a rising intonation, while German infants favor a falling melody - both reflecting the patterns of their native languages. We’re only just beginning to understand the deep learning that begins in utero. It’s just more evidence that the period from prenatal to three is the most critical window in all of human development. This little Liverpudlian was shared to TT by iamcustardpot.
1:00

Do babies develop accents even before they can speak conventionally? The short answer is yes… and these linguistic markers begin even sooner than you might think. So many of you tagged me in this video yesterday featuring an infant that babbles with the same Scouse accent as his mother. Other than “no” he doesn’t speak a single conventional word, but listen to how the rhythm and intonation of his vocalizations mirror those to which he is exposed daily. As hearing becomes functional during the third trimester, infants are exposed to the distinct patterns of their mothers’ native language - with studies suggesting newborns can already distinguish (and prefer) what will become their native tongue only hours after birth. Incredibly this learning doesn’t wait until the babbling stage to evidence itself. Research suggests that even the cries of newborns reflect this preference. That’s right: babies cry with an accent. One major study on the topic showed that French babies cry with a rising intonation, while German infants favor a falling melody - both reflecting the patterns of their native languages. We’re only just beginning to understand the deep learning that begins in utero. It’s just more evidence that the period from prenatal to three is the most critical window in all of human development. This little Liverpudlian was shared to TT by iamcustardpot.

Dan Wuori

2,986,553 views • 2 years ago

Your baby understands more than you might think. And this is especially true when it comes to language. I’ve written extensively over the years about the gulf between receptive language (that which we understand) and expressive language (that which we can speak), but I’m not sure I’ve ever seen any better illustration than this fantastic video, shared with me by Phoebe Arslanagić-Little. In it, her 10-month-old daughter - whose current expressive language is limited mostly to “dada” - correctly identifies 8 African animals, none of which are yet a part of her spoken vocabulary. It’s an amazing illustration of the order in which we acquire language (receptive before expressive) and a powerful reminder that our little ones are taking in the world more extensively than we sometime give them credit for. (This can cut both ways, incidentally, so never assume they aren’t taking in adult content/discussions just because they’re too little. Once that expressive language catches up you might be surprised to discover just how extensive their adult vocabulary can be. 😃). And kudos to grandma, who enabled this - not by drilling our hero on animal names, but by narrating their joint playtimes. Just fantastic!
1:34

Your baby understands more than you might think. And this is especially true when it comes to language. I’ve written extensively over the years about the gulf between receptive language (that which we understand) and expressive language (that which we can speak), but I’m not sure I’ve ever seen any better illustration than this fantastic video, shared with me by Phoebe Arslanagić-Little. In it, her 10-month-old daughter - whose current expressive language is limited mostly to “dada” - correctly identifies 8 African animals, none of which are yet a part of her spoken vocabulary. It’s an amazing illustration of the order in which we acquire language (receptive before expressive) and a powerful reminder that our little ones are taking in the world more extensively than we sometime give them credit for. (This can cut both ways, incidentally, so never assume they aren’t taking in adult content/discussions just because they’re too little. Once that expressive language catches up you might be surprised to discover just how extensive their adult vocabulary can be. 😃). And kudos to grandma, who enabled this - not by drilling our hero on animal names, but by narrating their joint playtimes. Just fantastic!

Dan Wuori

148,396 views • 7 months ago

Want to see something fascinating? Check out this happy little guy. On first glance you might wonder what he’s laughing at… what are his parents doing to elicit his squeals of delight? But if you watch and listen carefully you can actually “see” the missing half of the interaction. Because he’s mirroring it in real time. First watch his eyes - which maintain nearly unbroken eye contact with a parent for the duration of this video. He’s totally locked in. If you listen carefully you can hear mom and dad making babbling noises of their own… repeating syllables like “ba-ba-ba.” After they do, watch out hero’s face as he attempts to mimic what he’s just seen… moving his mouth just as they have and working to parrot the sounds they’ve just made. Isn’t it amazing what we can learn about their two-way interaction simply by watching one side of it? Well done, Mom and Dad. This amazing little mimic was shared to IG by brit_giff.
1:00

Want to see something fascinating? Check out this happy little guy. On first glance you might wonder what he’s laughing at… what are his parents doing to elicit his squeals of delight? But if you watch and listen carefully you can actually “see” the missing half of the interaction. Because he’s mirroring it in real time. First watch his eyes - which maintain nearly unbroken eye contact with a parent for the duration of this video. He’s totally locked in. If you listen carefully you can hear mom and dad making babbling noises of their own… repeating syllables like “ba-ba-ba.” After they do, watch out hero’s face as he attempts to mimic what he’s just seen… moving his mouth just as they have and working to parrot the sounds they’ve just made. Isn’t it amazing what we can learn about their two-way interaction simply by watching one side of it? Well done, Mom and Dad. This amazing little mimic was shared to IG by brit_giff.

Dan Wuori

179,572 views • 2 years ago

Want to see something fascinating? Check out this happy little guy. On first glance you might wonder what he’s laughing at… what are his parents doing to elicit his squeals of delight? But if you watch and listen carefully you can actually “see” the missing half of the interaction. Because he’s mirroring it in real time. First watch his eyes - which maintain nearly unbroken eye contact with a parent for the duration of this video. He’s totally locked in. If you listen carefully you can hear mom and dad making babbling noises of their own… repeating syllables like “ba-ba-ba.” After they do, watch out hero’s face as he attempts to mimic what he’s just seen… moving his mouth just as they have and working to parrot the sounds they’ve just made. Isn’t it amazing what we can learn about their two-way interaction simply by watching one side of it? Well done, Mom and Dad. This amazing little mimic was shared to IG by brit_giff.
1:00

Want to see something fascinating? Check out this happy little guy. On first glance you might wonder what he’s laughing at… what are his parents doing to elicit his squeals of delight? But if you watch and listen carefully you can actually “see” the missing half of the interaction. Because he’s mirroring it in real time. First watch his eyes - which maintain nearly unbroken eye contact with a parent for the duration of this video. He’s totally locked in. If you listen carefully you can hear mom and dad making babbling noises of their own… repeating syllables like “ba-ba-ba.” After they do, watch out hero’s face as he attempts to mimic what he’s just seen… moving his mouth just as they have and working to parrot the sounds they’ve just made. Isn’t it amazing what we can learn about their two-way interaction simply by watching one side of it? Well done, Mom and Dad. This amazing little mimic was shared to IG by brit_giff.

Dan Wuori

64,309 views • 1 year ago

How does the presence of older siblings influence the development of language? This lovely video brought my mind immediately to research on the topic. There is some consensus that the presence of one or more siblings can correlate with slightly slower* language development among children who are not first born. This is because parents juggling the demands of multiple children generally have less time for one-on-one interaction. But research suggests that this the presence of a “cognitively sensitive” sibling can mitigate against such delays. What is “cognitively sensitive?” It’s this little guy. Notice how he not only takes time out to deliberately expose his newborn sister to language and vocabulary, but makes an effort to slow and simplify his language in recognition that he’s speaking with a baby. He shows the photos. He points (as he’s able) to match vocabulary with what’s on display. It’s like having a third, mini-parent. What a fantastic little teacher. *By the way, the delayed language often displayed by younger siblings is not anything to get too worked up about. Might they develop a little slower? In some cases yes. But do they catch up and close this gap? Also yes. In the long run, there’s also plenty of reason to believe that the presence of siblings can be advantageous. Though subsequent siblings may receive slightly less one-on-one time, they are often exposed to richer and more varied language due to the presence of older children in the home. What was your experience? This loving brother-sister pair was shared to IG by halesmoore.
0:51

How does the presence of older siblings influence the development of language? This lovely video brought my mind immediately to research on the topic. There is some consensus that the presence of one or more siblings can correlate with slightly slower* language development among children who are not first born. This is because parents juggling the demands of multiple children generally have less time for one-on-one interaction. But research suggests that this the presence of a “cognitively sensitive” sibling can mitigate against such delays. What is “cognitively sensitive?” It’s this little guy. Notice how he not only takes time out to deliberately expose his newborn sister to language and vocabulary, but makes an effort to slow and simplify his language in recognition that he’s speaking with a baby. He shows the photos. He points (as he’s able) to match vocabulary with what’s on display. It’s like having a third, mini-parent. What a fantastic little teacher. *By the way, the delayed language often displayed by younger siblings is not anything to get too worked up about. Might they develop a little slower? In some cases yes. But do they catch up and close this gap? Also yes. In the long run, there’s also plenty of reason to believe that the presence of siblings can be advantageous. Though subsequent siblings may receive slightly less one-on-one time, they are often exposed to richer and more varied language due to the presence of older children in the home. What was your experience? This loving brother-sister pair was shared to IG by halesmoore.

Dan Wuori

418,388 views • 2 years ago

Check out this little mathematician! 🧮 After her aunt begins counting the steps, our hero takes over, counting to 11 with only one small assist… and leading her aunt to speculate about her special genius. You’ve probably learned by now that I am a believer in the genius of all children - and while this one is no exception, I want to take a moment here to spotlight the equal genius of her parents. While not pictured in this video, their presence looms large here. How did this precocious little one come to be such an adept counter? The answer is almost certainly that her parents have taken the time to expose her to many such opportunities. And you can do the same. Look for opportunities to count with your child. As you climb the stairs, as you clean up toys, as you cook… the opportunities are endless - and made all the more meaningful as you’re able to connect them not just to memorized (or “rote”) counting aloud, but real world opportunities to explore number and quantity. Notice how this little one has (mostly) established that with each step comes one and only one number. This one-to-one correspondence is a critical math skill, allowing us to associate quantity and number. (That the number three, for example, is associated with a set of three - and only three - objects.) So as we cheer this little genius along, let’s pause too to acknowledge the adults in her life that have provided the meaningful opportunities for practice that leave this proud aunt so dazzled. This expert counter was shared to TT by Jasmine.Lorimer.
0:20

Check out this little mathematician! 🧮 After her aunt begins counting the steps, our hero takes over, counting to 11 with only one small assist… and leading her aunt to speculate about her special genius. You’ve probably learned by now that I am a believer in the genius of all children - and while this one is no exception, I want to take a moment here to spotlight the equal genius of her parents. While not pictured in this video, their presence looms large here. How did this precocious little one come to be such an adept counter? The answer is almost certainly that her parents have taken the time to expose her to many such opportunities. And you can do the same. Look for opportunities to count with your child. As you climb the stairs, as you clean up toys, as you cook… the opportunities are endless - and made all the more meaningful as you’re able to connect them not just to memorized (or “rote”) counting aloud, but real world opportunities to explore number and quantity. Notice how this little one has (mostly) established that with each step comes one and only one number. This one-to-one correspondence is a critical math skill, allowing us to associate quantity and number. (That the number three, for example, is associated with a set of three - and only three - objects.) So as we cheer this little genius along, let’s pause too to acknowledge the adults in her life that have provided the meaningful opportunities for practice that leave this proud aunt so dazzled. This expert counter was shared to TT by Jasmine.Lorimer.

Dan Wuori

150,785 views • 2 years ago

Now here’s a little guy who LOVES his pacifier. This is a topic I’ve avoided to date, largely because there are so many varying opinions on the matter. For me the question isn’t so much whether to use one, but for how long. Infants are born with a strong sucking reflex and pacifiers can help them to soothe and sleep. There’s even some evidence to suggest that sleeping with pacifiers might reduce the risk of SIDS. In short: for babies (up to a year), I’m a fan. But it’s not uncommon to see children with pacifiers well into toddlerhood, and in some cases, even beyond. And here I’d raise some cautions. Children who rely heavily on pacifiers may be more prone to middle ear infections. And dentists note that prolonged pacifier use can affect your child’s teeth and create bite issues. Perhaps most importantly is their potential to impact expressive language development. Your child’s ability to speak is an important one. After a point, language shapes not only the content of our thinking, but the very structure of our cognition. By otherwise occupying the mouth over long periods of time, pacifiers may slow language development by limiting opportunities for expression. Speaking with a pacifier in the mouth can also lead to distortion of speech sounds (even when they aren’t in the mouth). All told, I’m an advocate for beginning to wean off of pacifiers at around one year of age. The transition can be difficult - but not nearly as challenging as for a child who has become dependent over a period of years. Do/did you use pacifiers with your child? Why or why not? How did you help transition away from their use? This sweet little one (for whom a pacifier is still completely age appropriate) was shared to IG by voroujakeman.
1:07

Now here’s a little guy who LOVES his pacifier. This is a topic I’ve avoided to date, largely because there are so many varying opinions on the matter. For me the question isn’t so much whether to use one, but for how long. Infants are born with a strong sucking reflex and pacifiers can help them to soothe and sleep. There’s even some evidence to suggest that sleeping with pacifiers might reduce the risk of SIDS. In short: for babies (up to a year), I’m a fan. But it’s not uncommon to see children with pacifiers well into toddlerhood, and in some cases, even beyond. And here I’d raise some cautions. Children who rely heavily on pacifiers may be more prone to middle ear infections. And dentists note that prolonged pacifier use can affect your child’s teeth and create bite issues. Perhaps most importantly is their potential to impact expressive language development. Your child’s ability to speak is an important one. After a point, language shapes not only the content of our thinking, but the very structure of our cognition. By otherwise occupying the mouth over long periods of time, pacifiers may slow language development by limiting opportunities for expression. Speaking with a pacifier in the mouth can also lead to distortion of speech sounds (even when they aren’t in the mouth). All told, I’m an advocate for beginning to wean off of pacifiers at around one year of age. The transition can be difficult - but not nearly as challenging as for a child who has become dependent over a period of years. Do/did you use pacifiers with your child? Why or why not? How did you help transition away from their use? This sweet little one (for whom a pacifier is still completely age appropriate) was shared to IG by voroujakeman.

Dan Wuori

335,600 views • 2 years ago

Parents often ask me about the best way to engage infants in lap reading - noting, at the very earliest stages, that their babies aren’t always real attentive to books. It’s important, first and foremost, to note that infant attention spans are very short. So know that it’s okay to start small… reading for just a minute or two at a time. But there are also ways you can optimize your chances of a successful experience. One trick is to literally turn things around, as illustrated by this great video from justjessfood on IG, who (with the assistance of a supportive pillow) has turned lap reading into a face-to-face social experience. There’s nothing your baby loves more than your face… as evidenced by this sweet little guy who arguably takes more delight in mom’s expressive reading than in a view of the book itself. And that’s just fine! He’s still accruing all the language benefits as they bond. And talk about an appreciative audience! Next time you read with your baby try configuring the situation so that they can see both you and the book. You may find it makes a big difference.
0:50

Parents often ask me about the best way to engage infants in lap reading - noting, at the very earliest stages, that their babies aren’t always real attentive to books. It’s important, first and foremost, to note that infant attention spans are very short. So know that it’s okay to start small… reading for just a minute or two at a time. But there are also ways you can optimize your chances of a successful experience. One trick is to literally turn things around, as illustrated by this great video from justjessfood on IG, who (with the assistance of a supportive pillow) has turned lap reading into a face-to-face social experience. There’s nothing your baby loves more than your face… as evidenced by this sweet little guy who arguably takes more delight in mom’s expressive reading than in a view of the book itself. And that’s just fine! He’s still accruing all the language benefits as they bond. And talk about an appreciative audience! Next time you read with your baby try configuring the situation so that they can see both you and the book. You may find it makes a big difference.

Dan Wuori

40,557 views • 1 year ago

Reading with your baby is about so much more than the book. It’s a time for bonding and connection. For laughter, love, and language learning… There are so many great things happening as this father and daughter share a board book together. Watch our hero, as she splits her attention between the book and her father, turning her adoring gaze to his face after each and every page. Dad is a fantastic narrator, reenacting the book’s animal sounds with enthusiasm. And let not leave out the fact that this is a shared tummy time activity (which, by the looks of it, is soon to be a precursor to some major crawling). The whole video is a delight… but my favorite part is the end. What do you think she’s communicating as the video closes? This lovely father-daughter moment was shared to IG by theberardos.
1:01

Reading with your baby is about so much more than the book. It’s a time for bonding and connection. For laughter, love, and language learning… There are so many great things happening as this father and daughter share a board book together. Watch our hero, as she splits her attention between the book and her father, turning her adoring gaze to his face after each and every page. Dad is a fantastic narrator, reenacting the book’s animal sounds with enthusiasm. And let not leave out the fact that this is a shared tummy time activity (which, by the looks of it, is soon to be a precursor to some major crawling). The whole video is a delight… but my favorite part is the end. What do you think she’s communicating as the video closes? This lovely father-daughter moment was shared to IG by theberardos.

Dan Wuori

338,621 views • 2 years ago