Perhaps most parents don't view themselves as teachers, when in fact they are.  Did you know that the number of words your baby hears per hour before the age of two will determine their future academic success?  Babies are learning machines.  They will learn all that they can from their surrounding environment.  This development is explosive from birth to two years old, and while it slows down a bit each day, it continues on until your child is five years old.  Professionals call this the critical window of opportunity for learning language.  It seems that the period from birth to two is such an important time for parents to surround their babies with language.  While babies who were not exposed to much language develop their speech around the same time, their ability to use and understand more advanced vocabulary is definitely lacking and they rarely catch up.  Children exposed to lots of language from birth certainly have an advantage and a strong foundation for academic success.