Communication starts from the very start of their lives.

Head of the Centre of the Development Child at Harvard and a reputed ambassador of brain development, Jack Shonkoff, speaking on the four core concepts of brain development, says the first few years are very important. The first of the four core concepts of brain development, he says, is that experience literally shapes brain architecture and brain circuitry. And the connections literally develop at the rate of 700 new synapses every second in the first several years of life.

The report was published June 30 this year and it examines how a child’s early environment – before their second birthday, influences their language and school performance.

“One message coming through loud and clear is that how a child learns in their very early years is critical for smooth transition into the educational system,” says Professor James Law, Newcastle University, who was one of the researchers in the University of the West of England-led study.

“what you do with your child and how you communicate with them when they are under two is far more important than having a flash car or a detached house in the country. This is a very positive message as it gets us away from the belief that a child’s educational future is pre-determined by standard measures of socio-economic disadvantage such as income, housing or the mother’s education.”

Professor Sue Roulstone, an Underwood Trust Professor of Language and Communication Impairment at the University of the West of England, who led the project, said, “These findings are an encouragement to all parents to provide a positive communication environment for their child from the very start of their lives.
“The project did identify particular aspects of the communication environment, like having children’s books around and not having the television on too much. But the main message is that, as parents, we can have an impact on how our children learn to talk by providing a range of communication experiences. And the better our children are at talking by the age of two years, the better they will do when they start school.”

http://www.thenigeriandaily.com/2011/07/06/communicating-with-toddlers-linked-to-academic-success-%E2%80%93-study/