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SALT LAKE CITY — Pediatrician Kerry Whittemore said she, like many other parents, feels silly when she tells her 10-month-old that there are dinosaurs on his pajamas.
"It sometimes feels a little bit strange to having a completely one-sided conversation, but it's the best thing you can do for your child to learn a language," she said.
That's the aim of "Talking is Teaching," a national campaign to encourage parents and caregivers to talk, read, sing and play with their children beginning at birth to enhance brain growth and learning capacity.
The initiative launched Tuesday at an all-day event at Discovery Gateway Children's Museum. Salt Lake County funded free admission to the event, where about 650 kids and family members participated in literacy and arts activities throughout the museum from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Several information booths also provided free development screenings for families.
"By age 3, children born into low-income families hear 30 million less words than their more affluent peers, which sets them up for having trouble in school and down the line as adults," Whittemore said. "So we want to address this when they're young by giving parents the right tools."
As part of the initiative, Salt Lake County and the Discovery Gateway Children's Museum will post tips on their websites for parents seeking better ways to interact with their children to support brain growth. Additionally, the initiative's leaders will reach out to schools and pediatricians to provide similar materials.
"The brain is such a fragile, wonderful thing that by the age of 3, 80 percent of it has already been formed," said Geri Mendoza, director of the Child and Family Development Center at the University of Utah. "So what do we do before the age of 3?"
"Talking is Teaching" tells parents they can help their children's development by playing peek-a-boo with infants, describing a stop sign or a tree to toddlers, or by playing "I spy" with kids grown past the toddler age.
"I tell (parents) to narrate their day," Whittemore said. "Talk to your children all the time. Engage them. Don't put them in front of a TV. Just be with your children."
"Simple acts like these integrated into our daily lives will make a world of difference to these young children," said Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams. "That's why Salt Lake County has so many committed partners supporting this effort."
For the initiative, the county partnered with the Utah Chapter of American Academy of Pediatrics, Utah State Library Division, United Way and Utah Education Network, among a dozen other organizations.
"Together we can help get the word out about 'Talking is Teaching' techniques that will help families and children for years to come," McAdams said.
