Tots talking to selves called a good thing

ARLINGTON, Va., March 31 (UPI) -- Parents should encourage their preschoolers to talk to themselves, a U.S. scientist says.

The study, published in Early Childhood Research Quarterly, revealed 78 percent of 5-year-olds who talk to themselves aloud -- either spontaneously or when told to by an adult -- do better on motor tasks than when they are silent.

"Young children often talk to themselves as they go about their daily activities, and parents and teachers shouldn't think of this as weird or bad," study leader Adam Winsler of George Mason University in Arlington, Va., said in a statement. "On the contrary, they should listen to the private speech of kids. It's a fantastic window into the minds of children."

The study also showed that children with diagnosed behavioral problems -- such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder -- tend to talk to themselves more often than children without signs of behavior problems.

Winsler is concerned teachers may unnecessarily ask children to be quiet in classrooms out of fear that such speech coming from difficult-to-manage kids will lead to problem behavior.