Parentese improves children’s vocabulary

Parents who frequently use parentese, an exaggerated speaking style, see greater jumps in their child’s vocabulary and conversational skills than parents who use it less often, suggests a 2020 study from the University of Washington’s Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences.

The researchers concluded that babies gravitate towards the high, lilting sounds of parentese. It seems to encourage the part of their brain that’s focused on social interaction which motivates them to engage in conversation. 

Parentese invites your baby to listen and also inspires them to try to talk themselves. It’s common across the globe—chances are, you already use parentese when talking to your baby. If so, you may be building their language skills without even knowing it 😉

4 characteristics of parentese

1. It tends to be an octave higher than typical speech.
2. The rise and fall of the voice is extreme—the highs are especially high and the lows are especially low.
3. It’s slower and contains pauses that give your baby space to participate.
4. Unlike ‘baby talk,’ parentese uses accurate pronunciations and grammar along with high pitches, drawn out vowels, and overemphasized mouth movements.