Preparing Miss.SingSong for Literacy - Talking and The Well-Trained Mind

In The Well-Trained Mind, we are taught that from the day you bring your baby home you should be talking to her constantly.  I like the idea, and I try to talk a lot to Miss.SingSong, but I'm an introvert and I need quiet time!  Motherhood is filled with guilt about how much we can or can't do for our children, it seems.

Almost every week there's a new article out about how parents need to talk to their babies to help their brains grow.  If you want some reading on the subject, here's a sampling of articles with tips for parents about how to accomplish all of this talking in the most effective way here, here, and here.  I like that the last one says that talking with your babies when you are home with them is enough - you don't have to quit your job to talk to your babies all day long.

I am well aware that being home with Miss.SingSong is a choice that I made, and that not every family makes that same choice.  I hope it's clear that I don't have a problem with anyone else making whatever choice they have to make for their family.  I am not dealing with your family situation and struggles any more than you're dealing with mine; therefore our choices my be different, even if motivated by that same love and desire to raise a happy family.


The authors of The Well-Trained Mind would have you talking about everything you're doing or the baby's doing at all times.  Seriously, ALL THE TIME.  I've learned a few things as I've tried to do this.

It's ok that it gets repetitive.  I do a lot of the same things each day.  We're supposed to talk about things that are happening as they happen and as the baby can see them.  That's how the baby will learn what the words mean.  So I end up talking about doing the dishes every day.  I talk about making the bed every day.  I talk about folding laundry a lot of days.  I try not to repeat the exact same monologue, but using the same words in context over and over and over again is so important for language development.  This is how Miss.SingSong's brain is going to develop and grow and be prepared to talk.

I am choosing to use the words "left" and "right" at every possible chance.  For some reason this left and right thing is still hard for me if I don't have my watch on my left wrist!  Sometimes I'll be navigating and tell Mr. Perfect to turn one way, but point to the other.  He's learned to follow the way that I'm pointing.  I'm hoping to help Miss.SingSong avoid the same problem.  I'll let you know how that turns out.

I try to use a lot of adjectives.  I should probably start using more adverbs, too.  I also try to vary the verbs, and will often repeat the same sentence, but with different word choices.  I want Miss.SingSong to have choices and have the confidence that she can express herself when she's ready.

I've decided that I don't need to be afraid of "hard" ideas.  Yesterday I was explaining the difference between translucent and transparent.  Why not?  All words are new to her, so how can some words be more advanced?  Two days ago I was explaining why hot water helps me wash the dishes by explaining about molecules and heat.  Why not?  We also talk about molecules when we talk about the fan blowing the air.  We talk about crossing the street at perpendicular angles, and the axis of rotation for the fans and wheels and her brightly colored rings.  I'm just trying to keep the conversation interesting for myself so that I keep talking.

Bauer and Wise (authors of The Well-Trained Mind) suggest that you talk while you're in the car, among many other places.  Miss.SingSong can't see anything yet other than clouds and trees.  But she can hear a lot of the noises, and she knows when we're turning.  I will tell her which way we're turning, and what road we're turning onto.  Perhaps in a year she'll be able to give Grandma directions.  Or not.  I'm just trying hard to talk.  But I admit that I usually take a pass in the car and put on the public radio to listen to some good music and learn about the different instruments.  I love their educational programs.

Sometimes I don't use words and I just play and make sounds for my baby.  She loves it.  And she's still learning the patterns of conversation as we take turns and respond to each other.  This might not be as good as talking all day for literacy purposes, but all interaction is helping her brain to grow and develop.

I love articles like this one and this one, which both state the babies need quiet time to process all that they're learning.  There are several other articles that will back that up if you want to do a quick search.  So Miss.SingSong gets quiet time each day, and I take a break from all of the talking!  Quiet time is usually on the floor with a few toys and books.  I've learned that she gets fussy easier if I bring out too many things for her, but she loves crawling around and playing with her books and her toys on her own while I read to myself, or get something else done.  She's not always quiet as she babbles to herself, but it's a lot quieter.

I feel that quiet alone-time is important for everyone, and can help Miss.SingSong's creativity as she learns to entertain herself.  I have no data for that, just a hope that it's true, because I need the quiet time.  Even if it's not true, having a sane mom is going to be better for her than anything else!  And that thought is how I try to suppress that mommy-guilt that we all feel at one time or another.