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Colors, Numbers, ABCs - When to Teach?
Is it my imagination, or are parents emphasizing to their young children the preacademic concepts of color names, numbers, and letters of the alphabet much more often and much earlier than any previous generation of parents? Is our society causing us to believe that we are bad parents if our children don't know these things as early as possible? "Force feeding" academic related concepts before a child is developmentally ready can lead to frustration and may cause...
Mary Lou Johnson
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Denial Steals Time - Resolve To Help Your Child Early In The New Year
Long-lasting denial can undermine the process of getting down to business to really help a child. Time lost while parents are in denial shrinks the early intervention window of opportunity to help a child. If your child is struggling to learn to speak like others his age, you can help him by learning what you can about the complicated process of learning to speak. You can make some adjustments in your daily routines so your child benefits from more focus on his needs. You...
Mary Lou Johnson
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Happy New Words In The New Year
As the new year arrives, one of your top wishes may be that your child will start talking more. Add to your list of resolutions to talk with your child more, tune in to her interests, and watch closely for small changes.
Mary Lou Johnson
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Language Development - Try "Talking The Book" To Build Language Skills
Picture books can be wonderful vehicles for teaching language to children. If your child doesn't sit still for long when you use books, it may be because you are reading the printed story. Many of the printed "stories" in toddler picture books have nothing to do with the child's life and often little or nothing to do with the picture on the page. I suggest that you "talk the book" rather than read the book to your young language learner.
Mary Lou Johnson
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Teach Your Child to Talk as Dance Partners - Let Your Child Lead, You Add the Extras
As you interact with your child and she begins to talk more, it is essential that you treat this verbal interchange more like a dance. Your child takes a step (says something), and then you take a step (respond), and you move together across the dance floor, so to speak, in the same direction. Using the dance analogy, a beginner in a dance class would never be able to keep up with a champion dancer. You are a "champion" talker. Accept your child's "beginner" status, and...
Mary Lou Johnson
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My Child Isn't Talking - Help!
Your child isn't talking yet. Maybe your child is 12 months old. Or 15 months old. Or 18 months old. Or two years old or more. You know many same-age or younger children who are talking more or better than your child. When your child isn't talking yet, it gets scary. Turn your worry into action.
Mary Lou Johnson
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Your Child's Speech Difficulties - Waiting for the First Word
You are very eager for your child to say his or her first word. Many parents who bring their child for a speech-language evaluation say that their child hasn't started talking yet and that they want their child to talk. What many parents are not aware of is that there are many behaviors and skills children must develop before they are able to say their first words. The first word is not the first indication that a child is ready to speak. Saying a first word results from...
Mary Lou Johnson
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Comparing Your Child to Others - When It Is Helpful To Compare Speech Skills
Often parents say they know they shouldn't compare their child to other children, but .... They are concerned about their child's apparent difficulties, but they feel guilty about making a comparison to siblings or other children. Though each child is a unique person who will grow and develop slightly differently than any other child, it can be very helpful to a child who is struggling to develop if his parents do compare him with others. There is a difference between...
Mary Lou Johnson
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Baby Talk - How To Handle It
I am often asked by parents how they should deal with baby talk. My advice is if you want to use these simplified or appealing "baby talk" words, do so, but always pair them with the real word so the child can hear both. Definitely, parents are discouraged from using the baby talk words to label or name any items. Just keep modeling the mature words, and your child will say those words when able to articulate them.
Mary Lou Johnson
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Parents - Help Your Child Talk Using Everyday Activities
Parents of children who are not talking at all, not talking much, or not talking well can help their children gain speech and language skills throughout the day using the activities and interactions that occur naturally within the course of a day. Parent-child interactions provide constant opportunities for language and speech stimulation. Parents can learn how to maximize these learning opportunities.
Mary Lou Johnson
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