Talking to toddlers will help bridge word gap

Washington: Even young infants can have conversations with mom or dad. Their turn just tends to involve a smile or babble instead of words. That's a key lesson from programs that are coaching parents to talk more with their babies - and recording their attempts.

Low-income children hear far fewer words by age 3 than more affluent kids, a developmental disadvantage. Trying to bridge that gap, one program in Providence, Rhode Island, straps "word pedometers" onto tots to record how many words a day they hear. Another in New York City records video of parents practicing conversation strategies with babies too young to even say "Da-da."

Researchers say early findings are promising. They were presented Friday at a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Boston.