Eye contact plays an important role in a child’s development, especially in the acquisition of language skills. According to new research, parents who regularly interact with their children through eye contact and vocalization when they are one year old help them develop better language skills by the time they are two years old. This natural interaction lays an essential foundation for communication, allowing children to pick up on non-verbal cues even before they begin to speak.
Interacting with children through eye contact and vocalization promotes early language acquisition, giving them a solid foundation for future learning. Although eye contact is a simple practice that can be done anywhere, anytime, the effect is huge, and can significantly shape a child’s communication skills as they grow up.
Eye Contact and Child Development
Before children can communicate verbally, they learn through non-verbal means, such as body language and facial expressions. Studies have shown that children who frequently use eye contact to communicate with their caregivers have better language development. One-year-olds who combine eye contact with vocalizations show more developed vocabulary than those who do not use eye contact regularly.
Eye contact helps children develop better language
The study encourages caregivers to pay more attention to their babies’ non-verbal communication efforts. In the study, researchers observed interactions between 11- to 12-month-old babies and their caregivers, noting how tone of voice, gestures and eye contact contributed to language acquisition. Lead researcher Dr Ed Donnellan from the University of Sheffield stressed that previous studies had not considered all of these factors together.
The new study involved videotaping caregivers and their infants in their home environment, allowing researchers to analyze natural play interactions. By coding responses from both infants and caregivers, the study provides valuable information about how early communication impacts a child’s later language development.
The researchers also asked parents to complete a questionnaire about their child’s ability to say certain words, including categories like animals, foods, and daily routines. Using statistical modeling, the researchers found that the best predictor of vocabulary in 2-year-olds was whether they made eye contact when they spoke at around age one. And if parents were consistently responsive to these communication attempts, their language skills improved even more.
By 19 months, the average child had a vocabulary of about 100 words. This finding suggests that babies begin to communicate before they are able to speak, giving caregivers the opportunity to interact meaningfully with them, which can help them develop language skills more quickly.
The researchers concluded that language development is a collaborative effort between young children and their caregivers. Caregivers should pay attention to their child’s interests and engage in conversations that stimulate learning. It is important to remember that these interactions can take place anywhere, whether at home, in the car, or during everyday activities such as mealtimes or playtime. Eye contact and conversation do not require special equipment or time, so caregivers can easily support their child’s language development throughout the day.
Make eye contact with your child during all daily activities.
McGillion hopes that this research will lead to further research at different ages, as child development is a dynamic process that evolves over time. Current research has focused on the first year of life, while children’s language and communication continue to develop far beyond this stage.
How to make eye contact with your baby?
Making eye contact with your baby is an essential part of early development, helping to build communication skills and strengthen the parent-child relationship. As a parent, pay attention to how your baby communicates so you can respond to his or her needs. Babies communicate not only by crying, but also by turning away, looking at you, or not responding to sounds. Each action carries a message. Treat these signals as a conversation, responding as you would to an adult. For example, if your baby is startled by a noise, you might say, “Did that sound scare you?”
From the very first days, babies begin to recognize faces, especially their mother’s face. By the time they are just four days old, babies can recognize their mother’s face. Eye contact is especially important during breastfeeding. This is because newborns can only focus on objects 8 to 15 inches away, the same distance as your face when you hold your baby. When your baby “locks eyes” with a caregiver while feeding, he or she is developing his or her social communication skills. This interaction strengthens the bond between you and your baby, showing that you are sharing your attention and awareness with your baby.
Talking helps children stimulate language development effectively.
Between 8 and 15 months, babies develop more advanced skills in directing their attention. For example, they will begin to use their eyes to make you understand them by looking at an object or toy they want and then looking back at you. This is called three-way gaze, in which your baby connects three things through eye contact: you, the object, and themselves. When your baby looks at you, then at the object, and then back at you, it shows that they understand that they can influence your actions. This is an important step in their development, marking the transition from passive observer to active participant in your communication.
Direct interaction with your baby is much more effective than engaging them through video or audio. Babies learn nonverbal communication by observing and responding to their caregivers’ facial expressions and actions. Whenever your baby makes a sound, reward him with a smile, a cuddle, or some positive feedback that he likes. This encouragement will encourage him to make more sounds and movements, which will further strengthen the bond between you and your baby. Soon, your baby will be making happy sounds to get your attention because they know that it will get an immediate response from you.
Is eye contact always positive?
Teaching your child how to use eye contact appropriately is an important part of their social development. Eye contact, when used correctly, helps children to confidently interact and connect with others. It enhances their ability to communicate effectively, making them more confident in social situations. However, it is important to teach your child that communication is a balance and that they do not need to maintain constant eye contact to be good communicators.
Is eye contact always positive? While eye contact is a valuable tool in communication, it is not always as positive as it should be. There are situations where prolonged or excessive eye contact can have unwanted negative effects, especially when communicating with young children. Therefore, parents need to use eye contact appropriately with their children.
Parents need to choose the right communication method for their children.
During long conversations, maintaining constant eye contact can be uncomfortable or stressful for the other person, especially children. When they feel like they are being “stared at,” they can feel awkward or uncomfortable. Instead of promoting connection, eye contact in this situation can have the opposite effect, making the listener feel scrutinized or anxious.
Even for the speaker, maintaining eye contact for a long time can make your gaze feel unnatural. Therefore, instructing your child to shift their gaze between different parts of the listener’s face, such as the nose, mouth, or forehead, can help them feel less stressed while still maintaining engagement.
Spending quality time with your child is one of the best ways to help them learn and develop. Your attention, eye contact, and responsiveness will teach your child how to communicate, even before they start talking. As your baby grows, these early interactions will become the foundation for language and social development. The more you interact with your baby, the more he or she will learn to make eye contact and gesture, building a strong bond that benefits both parent and child.
