.Parentese, the high-pitched slow musical style most parents use when talking with children, and which is found in all cultures, exaggerates the differences between individual phonemes in a language, making it easier for babies to hear the distinctions between say a “b

understanding of stories and can improve reading and language skills. In short, a little gender bending could actually help close the literacy gap between girls and boys. But toddlers are not driven by lessons in empathy or developmental goals. So why do they do