The coronavirus pandemic has provided the world with a socially challenging environment. Amidst quarantine and the fear of getting sick, many people witnessed their in-person interactions with others dwindle for the sake of their own health. According to a recent study, adults are not the only ones struggling with talking to others; babies are too.
Researchers compared babies who were born pre-pandemic to babies who were born in the course of the pandemic and found that the latter had more issues with speech. Babies who were born during the pandemic struggled with turn-taking in conversations and with babbling. The researchers suggested that parents of babies born during the pandemic may be talking less with their babies as a result of COVID-19 stress, but reassure parents that this problem is fixable.
One method the researchers suggested to promote baby vocalizations is to use serve-and-volley interactions. Serve-and-volley interactions are a turn-taking-based strategy in which parents keep an eye on what motivates their baby and respond to it. For example, if a baby is looking at a pig stuffed animal, the parent can pick up the pig and make pig noises (“oink oink”). This encourages the baby to keep playing with the pig and allows the volley to continue. Serve-and-volley interactions therefore can be used practically in any environment a baby is in, as long as parents center on what motivates their baby. An important aspect of engaging with speech-and-volley interactions is to make sure to consistently and immediately respond to a baby’s motivations and vocalizations, as babies are sensitive as to what goes around in their environment.
Speech-and-volley interactions contribute to brain development and enhance a baby’s language and learning. They are also useful with older children, helping them improve their focus, attention and academic success. Overall, speech-and-volley interactions are a convenient and constructive tool that parents can use to help build their children’s speech and learning abilities.
Kylie Robinshaw
Research Assistant, UConn KIDS
Article Link: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/smart-families/202209/babies-babbles-and-beyond-serve-and-volley-infants