Baby's First Year · Parenting

How do babies communicate when they are too young to talk?

When I mention "communication", a lot of parents think I only mean talking. But there are so many ways that you and your baby communicate that don't involve any words at all – through gestures, body movements, touch, and facial expressions. These forms of (non-verbal) communication are important stepping stones to talking. How your baby… Continue reading How do babies communicate when they are too young to talk?

Baby's First Year · Parenting

Baby talk: Let’s get moving with action words

Children expand their vocabulary by hearing the words we use. We tend to be really great at labeling objects (think: "A car! A ball! A puppy!"). But of course, we need other types of words to build sentences. Action words (verbs) are really important for building sentences, but they can be trickier to teach. Here… Continue reading Baby talk: Let’s get moving with action words

Baby's First Year · Parenting

First words: The power of play time

Before having my own children, I didn’t enjoy the winter.  However, I quickly realized that once you dress warmly, it's fun to get outside and play like a child again. And…there is so much to talk about! You can make a difference in the way that your child learns their first words. As a Speech-Language… Continue reading First words: The power of play time