Speaking with toddlers could boost IQ scores and language skills later in life

Article Summary:

Having conversations with toddlers has been linked to higher IQ scores and better language skills by the time they reach school, a new study from LENA researchers suggests. Children who took more “turns” speaking when talking back and forth with adults in early childhood had an average of 14 to 27 percent higher performance 10 years later on IQ tests, verbal comprehension, and receptive and expressive vocabulary scores. Lead author Jill Gilkerson recommends that parents wait to give their children a chance to respond when talking with them. “The more interaction, the better,” she said.