The commentary below has been provided by Dr. Nikki Gambhir.
The recent [Child Development] study, “An Early Parenting Intervention Focused on Enriched Parent–Child Interactions Improves Effortful Control in the Early Years of School,” highlights the importance of nurturing parent-child interactions in developing self-regulation and cognitive skills, which in turn, are, linked to long-term social-emotional competency and academic achievement.1 Effortful control, the ability to use executive attention to focus, shift attention, and inhibit behavior, has been shown to be influenced by individual temperament, parenting, and broader sociocultural factors.
The smalltalk parenting intervention, delivered as a structured playgroup program, equips parents with practical tools to engage in simple, structured conversations that enhance language and communication skills. Smalltalk plus adds tailored feedback and home teaching to further strengthen and refine these interactions. This study found that the smalltalk plus intervention in the toddler years significantly improved children’s self-regulation in early school years by improving parents’ ability to maintain and extend their child’s focus during joint activities.
This research aligns with Reach Out and Read by promoting early relational health and development through shared reading and positive parenting practices. As a pediatrician, I’ve seen how reading together fosters language development and strengthens emotional bonds, enhancing attention and self-regulation.
Similarly, initiatives like “Talk With Me Baby”2 (which encourages conversational engagement and language-rich environments), and “Healthy Families Thriving Children”3 (which supports child and parent needs through providing access to community resources, mental health services, developmental screening, and parenting support), demonstrate how early enriched parent-child interactions can transform children’s trajectories, fostering lifelong self-regulation and resilience.
Read the complete study here.
1 An early parenting intervention focused on enriched parent–child interactions improves effortful control in the early years of school – Bennett – Child Development – Wiley Online Library
2 https://saportareport.com/talk-with-me-baby-is-defining-the-future-for-every-atlanta-baby/thought-leadership/securing-atlantas-future/atlanta-speech-school/
3 https://www.pressherald.com/2024/10/01/healthy-families-thriving-children-countering-adversity-with-a-two-generation-approach/
