Birth to three matters - Communities and Local Government

The part of babies’ brains engaged informing connections in response tosounds (the auditory cortex) is moreactive than it will be at any other timethroughout life (Karmiloff and Karmiloff-Smith 2001). By the end of that first yearthey are able to make gestures indicatingtheir needs, take turns in conversations,recognise and use the language soundst h ey hear around them and assoc i ate facialexpressions with talk (Makin et al 1995).Dunn (1988) argues that this links withchildren’s grasp, between 12 and 36months, of what is and is not culturallyacceptable behaviour and speech but asthe research reported in this chaptershows, experiences of hearing languageand being involved in interactions as ifone is a person who understands and canrespond during the first year of life is thecrucial foundation of the process.84 EDUCATION ANDSKILLS B I RT H T O T H R E E M AT T E R S