Baby talk” gets a bad rap, but it’s actually one of the most powerful tools for helping children learn language.

With a new baby, it is a rite of passage for parents to worry about their adequacy as role models in the face of raising another human. How to keep them safe, what to feed them, and how to educate ...

Parents and other caregivers typically modify their speech when they talk to babies and young children. They use simple sentences and special words, like “nana” for banana. They also speak slowly, use ...