Language Development

S	STARTS at birth. Talk to your baby, toddler and pre-schooler as you go through the day. Use words to label objects, feelings, family events, behavior and daily activities.
P	PROVIDE language experiences rich in rhyme, repetition, fantasy, humor and exaggeration through books, songs, silly words, and made-up stories to spark your child’s imagination.
E	ENCOURAGE your child to talk using open-ended sentences that require more than one-word answers. Be patient and listen to them – don’t interrupt. Do not pressure them to speak to strangers.
A	ACCEPT children’s mistakes with language as they express themselves. Don’t worry about young children’s grammer. Children learning more than one language will often switch back and forth from one language to the next as they speak. This is normal.
K	Know your child’s non-verbal signals (facial expressions, eyes, body language) and use words to   label those feelings such as, “You Look Sad”.

 

Books for Adults

• Toddler Play
  by Dr. Wendy Masi
• Building Healthy Minds
  by Dr. Stanley Greenspan
• Baby Signs
  by L. Acredolo, Ph.D.
• Sign with Your Baby
  by Joseph Garcia

Books for Children

• Max’s First Word
  by Rosemary Wells
• Brown Bear, Brown Bear
  by Martin and Carle
• Do You Know New
  by Jean Marzollo
• Green Eggs and Ham
  by Dr. Seuss

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