How and When Babies Learn Language

Patricia Kuhl's study on how and when babies learn language is fascinating.  Children are like sponges when it comes to language until they are 7 years old, and after that age our ability to acquire new languages plummets lower and lower.  This 10 minute video is worth the watch - it says 13 minutes, but the last 3 minutes are ads.  In my opinion, the most interesting part of the study showed that American babies exposed to Mandarin for 12 sessions were just as good at recognizing Mandarin as Taiwanese babies - BUT the Mandarin exposure had to be through a human being.  American babies exposed to Mandarin via television or audio learned nothing.  I believe that Henry has learned words via a Chinese DVD, but I suppose he's benefited from me speaking Mandarin to him and a Mandarin class we go to once a week.  His pronunciation is very natural compared to his classmates who don't hear Mandarin at home.  

A few weeks ago, Henry and I started a mom and tot class at Language Stars for Mandarin and he loves it.  He thrives in the small class setting, plus I get to practice my Mandarin too!  The class is conducted entirely in Mandarin.  We sing songs, use props, walk around, and even have snack time (Henry's favorite part of class).  I highly recommend Language Stars if it's in your budget and if you're willing and able to reinforce the language at home.  Henry has picked up Mandarin amazingly quickly.  Language Stars is a Chicago based company that has expanded to the Washington D.C. and New York City areas.  In the Chicago area, they offer multiple languages, including Spanish, Mandarin, German, French and Italian.

Books of the Week: "See How They Go!"

These are great paperback books that have a lot of bang for their buck.  There is a sheet of stickers included, and the pictures really catch Henry's attention.  Unfortunately, like many series books these days, they advertise the other books in the series on the back.  This tactic is extremely effective on toddlers who want everything they see!  So beware, if your toddler likes one of these books, he will likely want to see the other ones, and libraries don't usually carry these.  Luckily they are pretty affordable!

See How They Go: Train
See How They Go: Diggers
See How They Go: Fire Truck
See How They Go: Cars
See How They Go: Airplane
See How They Go: Emergency Vehicles
See How They Go: Trucks
See How They Go: Tractor
See How They Go: Motorcycle
See How They Go: Bus
See How They Go: Bus
See How They Go: Motorcycle

Art Projects

A great activity we do almost every day is an art project.  The stamps Henry uses in the video are from the dollar bin at Target, and we've collected stickers as gifts, hand-me-downs and spontaneous purchases.  He also loves finger paints, using paint brushes, markers, etc.  I preserve the good ones in contact paper so that Henry can admire them later.  He loves to say, "I made this."  We also use contact paper with magazine cut outs, which avoids the need for glue and/or tape.  I tape the sticky side up on the table so he can place magazine and catalogue cutouts wherever he chooses, and when he's done, I put another piece of contact paper on top.  Then I cut around the edges.  You can tell from the video that he takes his art very seriously.  

All Purpose Mat

I love this particular splat mat from Land of Nod.  It's cushioned, super durable and easy to clean.  We use it for arts and crafts and I put it on the table when I know Henry is going to have a particularly messy meal.  My sister uses hers (a larger size that they don't currently sell) to protect her table on an every day basis.  Most splat mats are fine, but I think the cushion sets this one apart - I don't have to worry about Henry randomly sticking his fork into the wood table or the sharp side of a paint brush.

I'm also a fan of the sugar booger splat mats, although they are not cushioned and aren't as durable - our first one cracked after heavy use.  They do come in many different fun patterns.
SugarBooger ABC Jumbo Splat Mat

Airplane/Travel Entertainment Tools

Kidz Gear Wired Headphones For Kids
These headphones fit Henry's head perfectly and adjust as his noggin grows.  Chris' sound eliminators were too heavy for him.
Kidz Gear Stereo Headphone Splitter Adapter Cable
Great when you have 2 kids watching 1 portable device.

EZY Dose Jumbo Weekly Pill Reminder, 2XL - 1 ea
I bought one of these at our local drugstore - you can get them for 99c, and I put goldfish, raisins, and other small snacks in each compartment.  Henry spent lots of time opening and closing the tops and eating the snacks.  Now that we're home, I'm using them for his and my vitamins.  Now I never forget to take my prenatals!