Reading to babies has long been linked to their early language development. But researchers from the University of Iowa may have found two interesting reasons why: Babies tend to make more speech sounds with books than they do with toys, and mothers are more responsive to those sounds.
In a study published in Language Learning and Development, lead author Julie Gros-Louis suggests that beyond simply reading with a child, parents can help develop language even further by interacting and responding to the sounds their children make during book time. The full article can be found here.