How Parents Help Babies Learn Verbs Through Actions and Words

A new study looked at how parents talk to their babies while playing. Researchers checked mother-baby interactions at 13 and 22 months old. They focused on how verbs were used during playtime. The study included both hearing babies and deaf or hard-of-hearing babies.

Mothers changed how they spoke as their babies grew. At 13 months, moms used verbs that matched what their babies were doing. By 22 months, they used verbs that connected to the action but did not name it directly. This shift shows how parents adjust their language over time.

The way parents used their hands mattered too. When moms acted out verbs themselves, they chose actions that matched the verb meaning. This happened more with older babies. The study found that parents kept using lots of gestures and movements alongside words throughout both ages.

Deaf and hard-of-hearing babies got different kinds of verb input. Their moms used fewer different verbs but paired them with more gestures and visual cues. This suggests parents simplified the language and added more signs or actions to help these babies understand better.

The findings show that parents naturally adapt their verb teaching based on their baby's age and hearing needs. Younger babies get labeled actions, while older ones get more complex verb connections. All babies benefit from the mix of words and gestures that make verb learning clearer.