UW study: Is baby talk or ‘parentese’ better for babies?

There’s a subtle, yet important distinction between “baby talk” and “parentese,” and it could ultimately help with a child’s development, claims a recent study out of the University of Washington.

A UW study divided parents between two groups. Both groups’ interactions with their respective babies were recorded, while one group received individual coaching sessions, where they learned “language interaction” skills. Babies in the coached group of parents were found to have significantly improved early language skills.

Essentially, what the study did was have the coached parents speak to their infants using what it labeled as “parentese.” Different than simply making up words and sounds to interact with babies, parentese uses complete sentences and thoughts, spoken in long vowel sounds and exaggerated tones. It sounds happy, joyful, and generally makes it so an infant feels fully engaged with.

“When given a choice, infants prefer to listen to parentese over standard speech, and infants who hear more parentese have larger vocabularies at 24 months of age,” said UW research scientist Naja Ramirez.

In the study, parents in the group receiving coaching averaged a 15 percent increase in the use of parentese. In that group, babies saw an increased level of “babbling,” in 43 percent of recordings, and used a “significantly” higher percentage of words than the other group. Babies in the group without coaching for parents babbled in just 30 percent of recordings.

“This is important because we know that early language skills are important predictors of later language, and of children’s ability to learn to read and succeed in school,” Ramirez said.

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