"Using videos that claim to teach toddlers, or flash cards for tots, may not be the best idea. Simply talking to babies is key to building crucial language and vocabulary skills - but sooner is better, and long sentences are good. So says research that aims to explain, and help solve, the troubling "word gap": Children from more affluent, professional families hear millions more words before they start school than poor kids, leaving the lower-income students at an academic disadvantage that's difficult to overcome. That gap starts to appear at a younger age than scientists once thought, around 18 months, said Stanford University psychology professor Anne Fernald. And research being presented this week at a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science suggests that it's not just hearing lists of words that matters as much as rich, varied language with good grammar that trains babies' brains to learn through context. Instead of just saying, "Here's an orange," it would be better to say: "Let's put the orange in this bowl with the banana and the apple and the grapes." "It's making nets of meaning that then will help the child learn new words," Fernald explained. "The advice I give mothers is to have conversations with your babies," added Erika Hoff, a psychology professor at Florida Atlantic University. "Children can hear lots of talk that goes over their head in terms of the meaning, and they still benefit from it."" - Anne Bouey

"Research shows that both how much and how well parents talk to babies and toddlers influence development of language and vocabulary skills crucial to later school achievement. Here are some tips: The sooner you start talking with babies, the better. Their brains are absorbing vital information well before they're able to respond. The high-pitched, sing-song tone that many people take with babies does get their attention. But don't dumb it down: Use rich, varied language and longer sentences, said Erika Hoff of Florida Atlantic University. Don't just label things, make connections. "The dog is wagging his tail" isn't as effective as, "Look how fluffy that dog's tail is. It's much fatter than the cat's skinny tail." What matters most is speech directed to babies and toddlers, not what they overhear, said Anne Fernald of Stanford University. Turn off the TV. "Television does not help the brain learn language," said Dr. Kimberly Noble of Columbia University Medical Center. Babies and toddlers especially require personal interaction to learn. Reading a book for 10 minutes a day adds up fast, Fernald noted. If Mom or Dad isn't a good reader, just talk about the pictures. Fit conversation into everyday activities. Instead of turning on music while fixing lunch, talk about the bowl of fruit on the table." - Anne Bouey