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Beyond Baby Talk: From Speaking to Spelling: A Guide to Language and Literacy Development for Parents and Caregivers
From "Goo" to Gab — Guiding Your Child to Effective CommunicationThe first five years of a child's life are the most critical for speech and language development, and, as a parent, you are your child's primary language role model. So what are the best ways to help your child develop the all-important skill of communication? Fun, easy, and engaging, this book shows you how! Inside, you'll discover all of the essential steps and checkpoints from birth through age five, tips to help your child progress on schedule, and easy methods · Evaluate and monitor your child's language development · Understand and deal with environmental impacts such as television and cultural styles · Recognize the signs of language development problems · And much, much more!
306 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 2, 2012
26 people are currently reading
56 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 6, 2025
This seemed more relevant when I started the book when my twins were born 10 years ago (it was a gift from a speech pathologist). Picked it back up today, and the info is outdated and does not seem to be written as sensitively as I have come to expect after reading about neurodivergent kids for the last decade.
This book was a good reference to have when my kids were young, but not sure it would hold the same weight at this point in time (first edition published 2001, updates 2012. Currently 2025).
This book was a good reference to have when my kids were young, but not sure it would hold the same weight at this point in time (first edition published 2001, updates 2012. Currently 2025).
May 30, 2023
Great book for parents and therapists alike. I honestly wish I had read this in grad school and not as a new clinician. Definitely some old research and stories that date the book but a good solid read with easy to understand facts about language development. I liked the bits about screen time and reading later in the book.
March 31, 2022
Great info! I feel confident that I know what to look for insofar as what is appropriate language development as well as possible delays and what I can do about them. There are plenty of useful activities to engage children with every-day examples of language.
The following notes are for my future reference but may be useful to others as well.
So far, so good. I will definitely want to read again once my child is a little older. There are great ideas for games on getting children to think about words, literacy, and linguistics. My spouse and I even do one or two already! There is not a ton of information that I didn't know for infants, so I probably read this a few years too early, but reading it again will be very useful.
For future reference: Word games for pre schoolers to play can be found at the end of chapter four.
When searching for child care providers:
Ask about the level of education the providers have received - in any field of study.
Ask if providers value continuing their education and how they show this. (What opportunities do you provide?)
Certification status, what certifications? (Language development?)
What is the child-to-provider ratio? (1-7 or less)
Overall number of children in attendance? If large (15+), how often do the children all play together? How often are they kept in smaller groups?
Talk to other parents whose children attend.
What are the facilities like? Are there play areas that mirror every day situations?
Will my child have at least some knowledge of the tires of yours available?
Are there areas to practice literacy? Not only reading, but also writing? (Drawing, painting, etc 0
Is there a television present? What programs are viewed and for how long?
Children who leave child care facilities with child-focused materials (at projects completed by child, souvenirs from field trips) use more mature language when discussing the materials with parents, and conversation is maintained longer. How often do children do art projects or go on field trips?
Traditional or Montessori curriculum structure? Hybrid?
The following notes are for my future reference but may be useful to others as well.
So far, so good. I will definitely want to read again once my child is a little older. There are great ideas for games on getting children to think about words, literacy, and linguistics. My spouse and I even do one or two already! There is not a ton of information that I didn't know for infants, so I probably read this a few years too early, but reading it again will be very useful.
For future reference: Word games for pre schoolers to play can be found at the end of chapter four.
When searching for child care providers:
Ask about the level of education the providers have received - in any field of study.
Ask if providers value continuing their education and how they show this. (What opportunities do you provide?)
Certification status, what certifications? (Language development?)
What is the child-to-provider ratio? (1-7 or less)
Overall number of children in attendance? If large (15+), how often do the children all play together? How often are they kept in smaller groups?
Talk to other parents whose children attend.
What are the facilities like? Are there play areas that mirror every day situations?
Will my child have at least some knowledge of the tires of yours available?
Are there areas to practice literacy? Not only reading, but also writing? (Drawing, painting, etc 0
Is there a television present? What programs are viewed and for how long?
Children who leave child care facilities with child-focused materials (at projects completed by child, souvenirs from field trips) use more mature language when discussing the materials with parents, and conversation is maintained longer. How often do children do art projects or go on field trips?
Traditional or Montessori curriculum structure? Hybrid?
April 22, 2016
There is a lot of good information in this book for new parents or professionals. Unfortunately, I was looking for something that focused more on speech disorders and delays.
The writing is very dry and academic, but a new parent with very little exposure to infants and toddlers will find a wealth of information to help them grow their children's language. Apel and Masterson focus on ways parents and teachers can work with and guide children toward language success.
I neither recommend nor dismiss this book. It will appeal to some parents and educators and be boring for others. If your child is speech delayed this isn't a book that will help you much.
The writing is very dry and academic, but a new parent with very little exposure to infants and toddlers will find a wealth of information to help them grow their children's language. Apel and Masterson focus on ways parents and teachers can work with and guide children toward language success.
I neither recommend nor dismiss this book. It will appeal to some parents and educators and be boring for others. If your child is speech delayed this isn't a book that will help you much.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews