Should Parents Use Baby Talk?

How to Talk to Your Baby Without Using Baby Talk

When you see a baby it’s so natural for us to change the tone of our voice, use shorter sentences, repeat words, stretch out vowels, and use a sing-song voice. But, did you know speaking to your baby this way helps with their brain development? These one-on-one conversations with your baby matter, and they especially make a difference for babies with hearing loss.

Baby Talk vs. Parentese

Parentese is how you talk to your baby, but it’s not baby talk. Your baby doesn't learn from cutesy noises and sounds, like goo-goo-ga-ga. However, babies do learn from hearing you talk to them. So, how you talk to them is just as important as what you say.

What is Parentese and Why is it Important?

Parentese is characterized by a high-pitched tone and sing-song voice with stretched out vowels. We also use shorter sentences and have longer pauses between sentences when using parentese.

The research shows that when you use parentese (aka that sing-song voice with a higher pitch and stretching out vowels), it catches a baby's attention and cues their brain that something new and exciting is happening. Parentese benefits both baby and parents. It's mutually satisfying and supports the attachment relationship you have with your baby. It's also simpler and easier for your baby to understand. Because you're speaking slowly, it encourages your baby to participate, maybe with a smile, a coo, or a kick with their feet. You are creating a back-and-forth conversation, and that starts with parentese.
Another benefit of parentese is that it builds strong vocabulary skills. Studies show that babies who heard parentese had almost TWICE the vocabulary as children who didn't!

Babies' brains begin learning to talk from the time they're born, simply by listening to those around them speak. There are two critical components to make sure that can happen:

• The baby must be able to hear in order to listen. That means if they're deaf or hard of hearing, they need appropriate hearing technology immediately after diagnosis and wear their hearing devices all waking hours.
• Parents and caregivers must be intentional about talking with their baby. They need to fill their world with words!

How to use parentese

The early conversations we have with babies pave the way for listening, spoken language, learning, and literacy. The back and forth of conversations is critical to support the development of communication and social skills. While parentese is important for all babies because it helps build the baby's brain for listening, language, and understanding, it's even more important for children who are deaf or hard of hearing. They need to hear all the highs, lows, patterns, and melodies of speech.

Parentese activates the auditory areas of the brain, and then, as a result, other areas of the brain also get activated. This gets those synapses firing and builds important interconnected neural pathways.

Ways you can use parentese and important reminders:

• Your little one needs to hear you, so make sure they're wearing their hearing devices all waking hours.
• Babies love face-to-face interaction, and it helps that little brain grow. When talking with your baby, make sure they can see your face.
  • For really little ones, it's best when you're holding them in your arms.
  • As they get a little older, you'll focus more on audition first, or making ear contact before eye contact.
• It's called parentese, but it's not just for parents! All caregivers should become fluent and use parentese when they talk to your baby.

Parentese with LSL strategies

Play-By-Play: You can use the Play-By-Play LSL strategy and describe everything that's happening to your baby. This is perfect for parentese practice. Rather than trying to think of things to say to your baby, talk through what's happening in the moment, and describe the actions, reactions, and motivations as you go.

Serve and Return: Create a back-and-forth conversation with your baby, or a Serve and Return. After you talk to your baby, you’ll want to pause, wait, lean in, and let them respond to you with a smile or a coo.

Remember, as a parent, you are a brain builder! The best way to grow your baby's brain is through meaningful interactions. When you talk, read, sing, and play together, you’re helping that little brain grow!

Want to learn more about how to use parentese with examples? Watch this video for more!

Parents - How to Talk With Your Baby Without Using Baby Talk