Tips for New Parents

(ARA) - It's never too early to learn. Research has shown that babies and toddlers are fast learners, and even start before they are born. From the very beginning they are eager to understand the world around them.

Dr. Lise Eliot, a leading authority on early child development and author of the acclaimed book, "What's Going On In There? How The Brain and Mind Develop in the First Five Years of Life," says that parents should take an active role in teaching their children basic learning skills in the early stages of development.

Eliot recommends that new parents look beyond educational videos and DVDs because they are passive. Instead the focus should be on finding ways to connect with their babies and toddlers while they begin learning.

"Talking, singing and reading with children, as well as playing together with educational toys and interactive learning products are great ways for parents to get involved," said Eliot. "V.Smile Baby is a product from VTech, which extends the classic baby activity panel to a TV learning environment that is very effective for teaching early concepts, such as shapes, colors and animals, in an interactive way."

While interactive learning systems and engaging activities might be easy for new parents to adopt, experts also encourage parents to take notice of baby sign language, an emerging trend in early child development. In fact, baby sign language can help jump-start a child's intellectual development, even as early as nine months old.

According to Drs. Susan Goodwyn and Linda Acredolo, co-authors of the best-selling guide to signing with babies, "Baby Signs: How to Talk With Your Baby Before Your Baby Can Talk," baby signing boasts emotional and intellectual development through simple, easy-to-do gestures and can actually help babies communicate basic needs and interests before verbal speaking skills are mastered. The gestures, or "signs," represent items or concepts, such as "dog," "eat," and "all done."

"Through incorporating baby sign language, products like V.Smile Baby give parents an innovative way to help their children begin to learn language skills earlier in life," said Dr. Acredolo.

To learn more about the Baby Signs Program, visit www.babysigns.com. For more information about V.Smile Baby, log on to www.vtechkids.com. Courtesy of ARA Content

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