Brain Beats : How Rhythm Shapes Language and Literacy

Join us for a Masterclass by Professor Usha Goswami to explore how early childhood experiences, particularly hearing Baby Talk, shape a child’s linguistic development and set them up for literacy. This session will delve into the benefits of singing to babies and using Baby Talk, focusing on speech rhythm—an essential component of both learning language and learning to read.

By describing her cross-language research programme, Professor Goswami will explain how children’s speech-sound awareness is rooted in rhythmic learning. The Cambridge Baby Rhythm project revealed that speech rhythms and brain rhythms are intimately linked, providing the key foundations for language learning and literacy.

Key Takeaways:

• Talking Baby Talk and singing to infants is crucial for brain development
• Across languages, rhythmic speech is the foundation of later speech-sound learning
• Rhythmic activities in home and pre-school settings support language learning and protect against dyslexia

This masterclass is valuable for educators, social workers, policymakers, and development professionals looking to better understand and address the importance of childhood language and literacy