Pausing and using words like 'uh' and 'um' are likely to get the attention of your little kids and lead to them learning new words sooner. I think I will start adding more 'ums' when I talk to my 7-year-old. He never seems to want to pay attention to me. The study shows those little nonsense words make the kids look up and concentrate on what you are saying. Those little minds are so smart!
FROM NBC: Some good news for parents- Your missteps while speaking can actually help your child learn new words! Researchers at the University of Rochester say speech stumbles, like 'um' and 'uh' put your toddler at attention because he knows you're about to say a new word.
In the study, a group of children were shown images of both familiar and made-up items with a recorded voice speaking in sentences. When the voice stumbled, the child instinctively looked at the made up image much more often than the familiar image in an effort to learn a new word. Researchers say parents should not change their speech patterns on purpose, but say these verbal pauses are OK and informative. The effect only worked on children over the age of two.