First, a quick review:

1. Talk
2. Read
3. Sing

And now…..for the fourth one:  Use strong body language!  I bet you are wondering, “What in the world does she mean by that?”  I didn’t say strong body odor, I said strong body language!

I simply mean that you should use your body language to emphasize your spoken word!  Gesture, point, smile, and use eye contact.

Did you know the young babies prefer to look at the human face above all else?  The shape and contours of the human face draw the infant’s gaze to yours.  Use your eyes to obtain and maintain their attention as much as you can!

Another great way to use body language is to hold your little one close to you when talking to them.  This physical touch also engages their developing brain and gets the wiring going in the right direction! 

So, that’s it for the fantastic four…super easy,aren’t they?  And I’m telling you these go a long way in helping those communication skills become all they can be!!

We’ll talk again soon!

The third way to enhance your little one’s communication skills is to sing to them and play music for them.  One of my favorite quotes about music is:

“Music speaks what cannot be expressed, soothes the mind and gives it rest, heals the heart and makes it whole, flows from heaven to the soul.”

The impact of music on a baby’s life and his or her overall development is profound.  Music puts people of all ages in a good mood which makes learning easier.  Studies have shown that we learn better and retain more information when we are in a happy emotional state! 

Keep in mind that babies prefer high tones over low tones.  They also prefer music in major keys versus minor keys.  They also like simple, repetitive melodies.  So, start singing!

Stay tuned tomorrow for #4! 

Read, read, and read some more!  Reading is so important on several different levels.  Relationally, it helps you build a stronger bond with your little one as you hold them and read to them.  Developmentally, it helps expose your child to more language and wire that brain for words and talking!  And finally, it’s just fun to do!

Stay tuned tomorrow for #3!

I decided to share my Fantastic Four with the ladies last night.  These are simple, everyday, but powerful ways to give a ‘boost’ to those emerging communication skills. Let’s get started today with number one:

Drum roll please….aaaww, you guys know what it is…Talk with your child!  Yes, I’ve said it before, and I’ll keep saying it.  Talk to and with your baby about everything.  Become their narrator and communication partner.

In a book by Drs. Hart and Risely called Meaningful Differences, they share the results of a study about why some children do better in school than others.  I think that’s a good question to ask, don’t you?  And you know what they found out?  There was one variable that was highly correlated to or connected with children who were doing better academically in school.  And that variable was the amount of talking the children heard during their first three years of their lives.

Academic success wasn’t correlated with the parents’ educational level or socioeconomic status, it was related to the volume of words the child heard in the formative period of 0 – 3 years! 

I’ve talked about this before, but it is worth repeating.  This is a simple, natural thing you already do with your child, but now you know to do it more and with intention!

Tomorrow we will talk about #2 of my Fantastic Four!    See you then…

Remember everyone, stayed tuned tomorrow for my fantastic four ways to enrich your little one’s speech and language development…

I’m going to be teaching my FANTASTIC FOUR WAYS to enrich your child’s emerging speech and language skills.

Stay tuned tomorrow for number one!!

This product was born in my mind over ten years ago.  As you know, I am passionate about providing helpful and relevant information for parents to help them nurture and enrich their baby or toddler’s developing speech and language skills.

Strong speech and language skills are the foundation for all future learning.  Good speech and language skills are critical to your child’s overall development.

If you would like to learn more, please go to babytalkandbeyond!

I was a little concerned about what her reaction would be.  Although Grace is not overly sensitive to loud noises (she’s like her Dad in this department), I wasn’t sure how she would respond to the noise of the fireworks.  So, I decided to use earplugs. 

I told Grace that I had them with me in case the fireworks got to loud for her.  After the first burst of red, purple, and gold, Grace said “Earplugs please!”

So, for all you parents out there who are concerned your little one might become scared by the bing, bam, boom of the fireworks, take along some earplugs next year.  It might work for you! 

I LOVE play-doh!  Play-doh was my go-to toy when I was having a hard time maintaing a child’s attention in speech therapy!  It’s probably my second favorite toy to use in speech therapy right behind bubbles.

Play-doh is a great way to interact with your little ones at home too!  I introduced my daugher to play-doh when she was about two years old.  Play-doh’s age guidelines are for three years of age and up.  If using play-doh with a toddler, you definitely want to supervise the activity because we don’t want this happy toy to become a happy meal! 

I think play-doh’s secret power lies in its intoxicating smell…there is no smell like play-doh!  I think you can even buy a car deodorant hanging-thing that is play-doh scented…

Anyway, the ways to build your toddler’s speech and language skills through play-doh are endless…just crack open a can, take a whiff, and start playing!  I promise the ideas are going to flood your brain as you continue to sniff the aroma of play-doh!

Enjoy and get baby-talking! 

Summer is a great time to build wonderful family memories and it’s also a great time to build great language skills!  Opportunites abound everywhere!

Your family vacation will be a great experience for you and your little one to discover new things and places to talk about.  Be sure to take advantage of the opportunities to point out and label new things for your baby or toddler. 

Maybe you are just going to stick close to home and take in the local attractions.  The local zoo is wonderful place to take your little one and talk, talk, talk!  Name the animals, describe the animals, talk about what they eat, what they are doing, etc! 

Whatever your plans are for this summer, make it a great language building time for your little one…you won’t regret it!

Remember:  Get baby-talking!