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One
those motbers who would cootinue
to talk frequently to their children.
Significantly, rnost of the speech
heard by both one- and two-year–
old "A" children carne frorn their
mothers and others around them.
And frequently, it was directed
to
them personally.
(Another study stressed that com–
peteot mothers not only talk to their
children during such necessary ac–
tivities as dressing, but also will
often take a few seconds for a quick
face-to-face chat.)
Now look at the contrast. The
television set provided "C" children
with most of tbeir language experi–
ence.
Developing Curiosity
The two groups of mothers also
establisbed different poücies when
tbeir children began to crawl. As a
result, curiosity in the child was ei–
ther encouraged or thwarted.
As Dr. White put it, "Locomobil–
ity plus intense curiosity, plus poor
control of the body, plus ignorance
of common dangers, plus ignorance
of the value of things, plus igno–
rance concerning the rights of others
spells trouble." Yet the excellent
mother resolved the troubles and
still permitted her child rnaxímum
rnobility in the borne. She allowed
for a tolerable level of infant-in–
duced clutter and a few rnishaps,
Mike Hendri<bon- Ploin Trulh Pholo