Previous intervention research on early language development has mainly focused on combinations of visual and auditory training (Bahrick & Licklitter, 2000; Pickens & Bahrick, 1995). However, much less is known about combinations of linguistic and tactile interventions aimed at enhancing very small children’s language development (for a review, see Lewkowicz, 2000). Furthermore, many of the previous studies using tactile stimulation have focused on premature infants (for a review, see Liaw, 2000).

The deepest aim of the present study was to bring back the culture of children’s poems and rhymes in mother-child interaction. Further, these interaction situations were used as a tool in an intervention designed to accelerate early language development. The intervention programme was developed to provide the mothers with concrete and easy, scientifically based ways of interacting with their babies, through joint attention in natural interaction situations and using kinaesthetic-tactile stimulation along with rhyming games. The term ‘kinaesthetic-tactile’ is used, because the programme included tactile stimulation excercises combined with movements. Although this particular program was developed in respect with Finnish language, it would be of a great interest to see, whether the results would be similar in other languages, as well.

We were interested in finding out, whether the performance of children in the very early stage of their language development (aged 6 to 8 months) would be accelerated by the 8-week intervention programme. We also examined whether children with and without exposure to such rehearsal would differ according to their development in cognitive skills, as well as receptive and expressive language skills.

References: Bahrick, L. E., & Licklitter, R. (2000). Intersensory redundancy guides attentional selectivity and perceptual learning in infancy. Developmental Psychology, 36,190–201. Bayley, N. (2006). Bayley III. Scales of Infant and Toddler Development. Third Edition. Administration manual. San Antonio, USA, PsychCorp.D. J. Lewkowicz, D. J. (2000). The development of intersensory temporal perceptions: An epigenetic systems/limitations view. Psychological Bulletin, 126, 281–308. Liaw, J.-J. (2000). Tactile stimulation and preterm infants. Journal of Perinatal and Neonatal Nursing, 14, 84–103. Pickens, J., & Bahrick, L E. (1997). Do infants perceive invariant tempo and rhythm in auditory-visual events? Infant Behavior and Development, 20, 349–357.