The Secret to Reading with Preschoolers

The secret to reading with preschoolers is…. make it FUN!

“No kidding” you say. 

Yes, really!  For years I have witnessed  too many loving and well-meaning parents read to their toddlers with a rigid focus on the story.

The truth is, young children learn best by having enjoyable interactions, not by being “taught”. The primary goal when reading books with little ones is to encourage an interest in books by making reading FUN!  

Here are my top suggestions to make book reading FUN:

  1. Choose a time when he is calm or needs to find calm, such as just before nap or bedtime, in a waiting room or after the playground. It’s no fun to sit and read when you’d rather be running around.
  2. Let her choose the book. It’s okay to make suggestions, but the small act of allowing her to choose secures her interest. She may choose the same book over and over. Go with it. Children learn through repetition.
  3. Let him hold the book and turn the pages if he wants to. He might not turn them in the “correct” order. That’s okay. Let him do it anyway. The more he can look at what interests him in each moment, the more fun it will be. This also allows him to look through the book at his own pace.
  4. Read with rhythm and expression. Use your personality to bring the story to life. Enthusiasm is infectious. Stories sound less interesting when read without changes to the pace, volume and pitch. And if your preschooler looses interest, you loose your preschooler to another activity. Mix it up and make it sound interesting.
  5. Make fun sounds “BOOM, yummy, choo choo, POP, moo!” Not only do sounds make a story more fun, including them may also encourage her to imitate you and take her own turns.
  6. Turn book reading into a conversation. Talk about the pictures. Pause to share comments and ask questions, such as “The character seems lost, what would you do if you were the character?” Read in a way that encourages more interactions between you and your child. You can even continue to focus on the story after you have finished reading it by talking about what might happen next if the story continued.

First establish a fun relationship with books. The next step is to build your child’s early literacy skills. These are the skills a child needs in order to read or write independently. A strong foundation in early literacy skills sets children up for academic success.

Here are the main things to focus on to support early literacy skills:

  • Make personal connections: Establish connections between books and her experiences. Connecting new information to what she already knows makes it meaningful, gives it more “stick” factor in the brain, and encourages her to notice new but familiar concepts in future stories.
  • Use a variety of words: Don’t feel limited by the print in the book. Move beyond naming pictures and add in descriptive words, action words, and location words. This builds a larger vocabulary.
  • Draw attention to the print: Point out the book title and author’s name; track with your finger to connect the words on the page with the words she hears. Extend this activity by pointing out print on her shirt, on signs and in stores.
  • Model critical thinking: Predict what will happen, talk about how the characters may be feeling, and explain why things happen, especially things that are not “written” and may not be obvious. Helping him “read between the lines” strengthens early literacy skills by giving him tools to connect actions, reveal that which is not transparent and better understand books.

Cultivating a love for books in your child is the first step to developing early literacy skills. Read early and read often. Don’t read too fast or too long. Consider the listening skills of your child. Turn reading into an enjoyable activity that stimulates interaction by simply reading WITH your child instead of reading TO your child.

The Unknown Risks of Pacifiers

Using a pacifier can be an easy and effective way to help your baby fall asleep. However, pacifier usage does have its drawbacks. Among the most significant, is the increased risk of developing ear infections.

Ear infections are twice as common in children who use pacifiers.

Sucking on a pacifier can increase the movement of nasopharyngeal secretions into the middle ear. As a result, when a child has a cold, pathogens are more likely to enter the middle ear.

A child’s first middle ear infection results in damage to the mucosa of his middle ear, predisposing him to further infections. And with multiple ear infections, if there has been damage to the eardrum, bones of the ear, or the hearing nerve, there is a small risk of permanent hearing loss.

Acute otitis media (AOM) is a common middle ear infection in young children. It is much more common in children from 6 -12 months than in children from 0 – 6 months.   It is the leading cause of doctor’s visits by children, and is also the most common reason children receive antibiotics or undergo surgery.

Ear infections can take up to a month or longer to heal. With fluid in the ears making it difficult for your child to hear sounds, it is inevitable that she will miss out on some of the speech models and stimulation that support typical speech and language development.

Children who suffer repeat ear infections commonly experience an accompanying delay in development of speech and language skills. 

Signs your child might have an ear infection:

  • Pulling at the ears
  • Not responding to sounds
  • More crying than usual
  • Trouble sleeping
  • Fever

Some other risk factors for AOM include: a child’s age, recent illnesses, allergies, genetics, and a history of gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD).

Pacifier use is one of the few AOM risk factors that parents can control!

A further consideration when deciding on pacifier use is your child’s age. A child as young as 6 months engages in sound play, and by 12 months he is using words, with his vocabulary growing up to 50 words by the time he is 18 months old.  (See my blog on speech-language milestones.) So from 6 months onward it is preferable to limit anything that might inhibit your child from engaging in sound play, taking turns in interactions, or attempting to produce words out loud.

Maintaining a “pacifier free mouth” for your child during this period of extensive expressive language development is simply a good idea. 

If your child of 2 years or older is already using a pacifier and you would like to get rid of it, here are a few ideas shared by some creative moms.

  1. The Pacifier Fairy: Explain to your child that the Pacifier Fairy needs pacifiers for the new babies. Help her gather all her pacifiers in one bag and leave it beside her bed one night. Explain that the fairy will leave a special gift to thank her for her help.
  2. Exchange the pacifiers at the Toy Store: If there is a toy your child especially desires, explain that the toy store will exchange pacifiers for toys. This will require you speaking to the customer service representative at the store and arranging the exchange in advance.
  3. The Broken Pacifier: Make a small incision in the tops so they no longer work. Explain that the pacifiers are broken and take them away.

Sucking on a pacifier helps a child relax their nervous system and so is often used for comforting.

Tips to help ease the transition:

  1. The earlier you take away a pacifier, the easier it will be. Ideally get rid of it in the second 6 months.
  2. Go cold turkey if you can. Or start by using it only at bedtime.
  3. Offer a special snuggly toy as a replacement.
  4. Introduce other sensory integration activities during the day: blowing bubbles in water through a straw, kneading dough, a slow firm back rub.

Regardless of how you get rid of the pacifiers, be prepared for three challenging days ahead. Remember that many generations of children have endured this rite of passage, and your child shall too. The undeniable long-term gains you are securing for your child are worth it.

For further reading:
Rovers, M.M., Numans, M.E., Langenbach, E., et al, (2008). Is pacifier use a risk for otitis media? A dynamic cohort study. Family Practice, Volume 25, Issue 4, 233–236

Nelson, A.M. (2012). A comprehensive review of evidence and current recommendations related to pacifier usage. Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 27, 690-699

The One Question I Am Asked Most Often

The one question I am asked most often is from parents wanting to know if their child has the level of speech and language abilities that are expected at his age. First-time parents especially, may not have previously witnessed a child moving through the stages of development. In such cases, it is not unusual to feel some uncertainty.

January, a time of year brimming with reflection and planning, is the perfect time to check if your child is developing as expected. Following up on any concerns you have now affords you plenty of time to pursue an evaluation and recommendations before the start of the next school year.

Typical speech and language development follows a predictable progression however, children develop at different rates. For example, although not all same aged children will be able to understand and answer the same types of questions, they will all learn to answer basic “yes/no” and “where” questions before the more complex “how” and “why” questions.

Below is a summary of COMMUNICATION MILESTONES. Consider these to be average ages at which most typically developing, monolingual, English-speaking children will acquire these skills. The ages are provided as a general guideline.

Scroll down the checklist to your child’s age. Descriptions of pre-linguistic skills, listening skills, verbal abilities, pragmatic skills, and literacy development have been included for the applicable stages.

From 0-6 months
☐   Responds to voice and sound.
☐   Turns his head toward source of sound.
☐   Watches the speaker’s face.
☐   Establishes eye contact.
☐   Babbles to gain attention.

From 7-18 months
☐   Stops an activity when her name is called.
☐   Listens with interest to new words.
☐   Answers questions when presented with two choices.
☐   Responds to “no”.
☐   Tries to communicate with actions and gestures.
☐   Copies the simple actions of others.
☐   Expressive vocabulary grows to 50 words.

From 19-24 months
☐   Beginning to understand simple one-step oral directions.
☐   Understands 300 words or more.
☐   Understands in, on, another.
☐   Answers “yes/no”, “where”, and “what’s this” questions.
☐   Strangers will understand 25% – 50% of what he says.
☐   Using intonation (raised pitch) to ask questions.
☐   Has an expressive vocabulary of 50-200 words.
☐   Starting to combine two or three words together.
☐   Asks limited “wh” questions.
☐   Begins to use pronouns.
☐   Using turn-taking verbally.
☐   Waves bye-bye.
☐   Recognizes some books by their cover.
☐   Will attend to a toy or a book for up to two minutes.

From 2-3 years
☐   Answers simple “wh” questions logically.
☐   Beginning to understand some time concepts: wait, later.
☐   Understands size differences.
☐   Strangers will understand 50% – 75% of what she says.
☐   Frequently omits consonants in the middle or at the ends of words.
☐   May exhibit initial word repetitions (normal stuttering).
☐   Expressive vocabulary grows to 1,000 words.
☐   Maintains topic over several conversational turns.
☐   Makes conversational repairs if her listener doesn’t understand.
☐   Using pronouns my, me, mine, you, your, yours, he, she, and  we.
☐   Using plurals.
☐   Requests permission.
☐   Begins to use language playfully (jokes).
☐   Begins to describe colors and size.
☐   Holds a book correctly.

From 3-4 years
☐   Follows simple two-step oral directions.
☐   Answers more complex “how” and “why” questions.
☐   Understands beside, between.
☐   Identifies colors.
☐   Strangers will understand 80% of what he says.
☐   May frequently talk to self.
☐   Uses words to express feelings.
☐   Using pronouns they, us, hers, his, them, and her.
☐   Begins to pay attention to print.
☐   Participates in rhyming games.
☐   Able to make some letter-sound matches.

From 4-5 years
☐   Follows simple three-step oral directions.
☐   Answers “when” and “how many” questions.
☐   Understands comparative and superlative adjectives, such as bigger, biggest.
☐   Understands time concepts, such as week days, yesterday, today, tomorrow, next week.
☐   Understands concepts of position, such as first, middle, last.
☐   Strangers will understand 75% – 90% of what she says.
☐   Beginning to use language to resolve disputes with peers.
☐   Understands the purpose of print.
☐   Understands story sequence.
☐   Can answer questions about simple short stories.

From 5-6 years
☐   Follows instructions given to a group.
☐   Understands opposite concepts.
☐   Understands left / right
☐   Strangers will understand 90% – 100% of what he says.
☐   Asks the meanings of words.
☐   Asks questions to obtain information.
☐   Uses yesterday and tomorrow.
☐   Understands that spoken words are made up of sounds.
☐   Begins to write letters and some familiar words.
☐   Begins to recognize some written words by sight.
☐   Reads a few simple books from memory.
☐   Able to print own name.

Use care when reviewing the above speech-language milestones, and applying them to your child. Remember that normal development varies quite a bit, and it is hard to tell when your child will get to each stage.

You know your child. And it is normal to compare your child to other children. If you suspect that her speech-language development is behind for her age, then there is no harm in consulting with a certified Speech-Language Pathologist. Sometimes just a short conversation can clear up any worries. Trust your instincts.

Here are some clear indications that a child would benefit from a speech and language evaluation. If any of the following apply to your situation, then I recommend contacting a Speech-Language Pathologist.

1. If your 12 month old does not respond to his name.
2. If your 30 month old has not begun combining two words together.
3. If adults regularly have trouble understanding your 3 year old.
4. If your 4 year old does not answer simple “wh” questions.
5. If your 3 – 4 year old grabs toys from other children instead of making verbal requests.
6. If your 4 year old repeats sounds or parts of words.
7. If your 5 year old has trouble following directions.
8. If your 5 year old can not make a rhyme.
9. If your 6 year old is not making all of her speech sounds clearly.
10. If your child’s teacher has expressed concerns about his speech or language skills.

Celebrate Your Connection

For many, December is a time of reflection and planning for the year ahead.  I invite you to set aside a few moments to reflect on your most memorable interactions with your children this past year. Next, celebrate yourself for your role in creating those memories. 
It may have been a moment of accomplishment when your young child spoke her first phrase, or a time you offered your undivided attention during bathtime, or perhaps she was able to clearly express her big feelings, and you were there to hear and acknowledge her words.

 

As parents, it is so easy for us to get swept away by our daily to do lists. And let’s be honest, the majority of those things on the list are likely for the benefit of our children. Yet when we stop doing for them and instead get present with them, this is when we more deeply connect and earn their trust and permission.

 

This past year, it was a few shared moments with my 3 year old nephew on the beach that were among my most memorable. We had been walking on the boardwalk with his parents when he suddenly ran onto the beach, kicking up huge amounts of sand with each step. The beach was not crowded, but there were people reclining ahead. I considered correcting him but decided instead to join him, imitating his steps, kicking up my own sand. Judging by his smile, he was thrilled to see me imitating him. At that moment I switched up the step to a gentle and deliberate lunge. He instantly copied me, allowing me to take the lead for a moment. Then he jumped up on a log and so did I. He turned to look over his shoulder and smiled. This routine of copying each other went on for only a few more minutes, but it was rich with connection. Connection that existed because I chose to be playful, attend, imitate and take turns rather than correct and direct. I used the tools I knew would yield his interest and attention leaving him receptive to me as his model.

 

As the poet Rumi said, “Out beyond ideas of right-doing and wrong-doing there is a field. I’ll meet you there”  These words inspire me to suspend my own judgement about a child’s rights or wrongs, and release my desire to correct and direct.  Instead I ask myself what the child is feeling and needing in that moment and lean in. By just being present with them, we sweeten the connection, and organically increase the joy factor.

 

Connection, achieved through presence, attention, and turn taking allows children to maximally benefit from us as their speech and language models.

 

The video below is one of my favourite examples of how using these simple tools deepens connection. It’s guaranteed to put a smile on your face!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10RfW8R4VRY

 

What strategies have you found that support deep connection with your little ones? Have you similarly noticed that by first establishing this type of connection, you receive their permission to take on the role of speech and language teacher?

 

It is my hope that you take some time to recall the moments worth celebrating. Interactions characterized by humour, play, eye contact, observing, waiting, listening, turn taking, imitating, delighting and awe.

Top Christmas Toys to Help Your Child’s Language Development

We are quickly approaching the busiest shopping season of the year. And parents will spend countless hours searching for the best Christmas toys for their children.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to identify toys that are safe, fun and support your child’s development.

Tips to get you started:

  1. Avoid noisy toys. Some toys are so loud they can cause hearing damage in children. And a child’s short arm length means those noisy toys are pretty close to their ears. If it sounds too loud to you, it will be too loud for your child. Furthermore, noisy toys do not encourage talking. If you are very keen on a toy that happens to be  noisy, simply remove the batteries or apply tape over the speaker!
  2. Pick toys that encourage pretend play. Play of this kind organically fuels children to use their imaginations and generate words and sentences describing what they are doing.
  3. Look for toys that will hold your child’s attention, and encourage her to interact with the toy. Interactions promote opportunities for your child to use her language skills to express herself.
  4. Choose toys you think look fun. The best way to stimulate language development is for you to join your child in play and talk about what he is doing. Therefore, choose toys you will both enjoy playing with.

These are what I believe to be exceptional toys and games. These toys, through their design and quality, promote play that advances language development at different ages.

Toys for 1-3 years

 Where’s Bear by Peaceable Kingdom

Offers opportunities to model vocabulary related to spatial concepts, asking and answering where questions, and language associated with problem solving.

 My Busy Town by ALEX

Features five types of games that will stimulate your child’s mind and language. Use simple phrases to narrate your child’s actions.

 GearZooz Roll and Roar Animal Train by VTech

Your child can customize his own animal train with spinning gears. There are interactive songs and phrases about animals, places and instruments. Language building activities have been incorporated into questions that stimulate thinking and following directions.

 Pet Vet Clinic by Battat B.

Includes two small plush pets, stethoscope, syringe, thermometer and keys to open colour coded doors.  This toy encourages imaginary play and action word vocabulary.

Toys for 3-6 years

 Scoop and Learn Ice Cream Truck by Leap Frog

Your child will pretend to run her own ice cream truck. Provides opportunities for extensive vocabulary through role play. She can learn numbers, colours, flavours, and skills such as listening and following directions.

   Better Builders Emotions Toy Set by Guidecraft

Contains six interchangeable bodies, faces and feet. Faces express different emotions and help children learn to name, identify and regulate their emotions. Features magnetic ball and rod construction.
  Story Train Firefighters by Janod

The inclusion of people with the train encourages more talking. Your child will tell stories about what he does with the train and the firefighters. Opportunities to use concept words and opposites.

 Barber in the tub by ALEX

What a better place for pretend play then in the tub? Add bubbles to the bath for shaving. Opportunities to practice vocabulary and phrases associated with getting a haircut.

Toys for 6-9 years

 Rory’s Story Cubes by Gamewright

Your child will practice her narrative skills while tapping into her own creativity. Provides practice planning and sequencing information. May also be used to practice writing skills.

 Pottery Cool Studio by Spin Master

Opportunities to use vocabulary related to sequencing and time. Your child can practice using past tense and narrative skills to describe what he made and how he built his creation.

 Fingerlings – Interactive Baby Monkey by WowWee

These interactive baby monkeys cling to fingers and react to sound, motion and touch. If your child blows them kisses, they will kiss her back! Opportunities to talk about cause and effect and use sequencing vocabulary.

 Eye’n Seek by Blue Orange

Play six possible games that reinforce matching, reading, vocabulary and phonemic skills.

It is my hope that this list of toys and games is helpful and brings some ease to your Christmas shopping experience.

A final word of advice regarding toy safety. Remember that typical wear and tear can result in once safe toys becoming hazardous. Check your toys regularly to make sure the are in good condition.

 

Steal These Questions to Get Your Child Talking About School

Remember when your kids were little and wouldn’t stop talking?  

I admit, there were days when I succumbed to preparing dinner with headphones on… volume set just loud enough to drown out the non-stop voices, yet soft enough to hear if anyone were to scream.

I just needed some quiet time, some “no listening” time.

Fast forward to today, those little kids are in school listening and answering questions all day. The tables have turned. Now they come home from school wanting some “no listening” time.

Your first step is to not rush in.  Conversations can’t be forced. Give them some time. We’re all more receptive to people who recognize and honour our needs.

Next, if you want your kids to talk about their day, go first and share something from your day: something you learned, something funny you heard or witnessed, someone you bumped into, details about a project you’re working on, or plans you made.

And finally, be specific with your questions. Parents hoping for a window into their child’s day often ask open-ended questions “Tell me about your day”, “How was your day?” or “Anything interesting happen today at school?” I recommend asking more specific questions. Choose two or three from the list below…

“Did anyone do anything funny today? Tell me about it.”

“Who did you play with at recess? What games did you play? I don’t know that game, how does it work?”

“What was the best part of your day?”

“What was the hardest part of your day?”

“What book is your class reading? Tell me about the story.”

“What did you learn today that you never knew before?”

“Who did you sit with at lunch time?”

“What food did your friends bring that you wished you had?”

“What is the first thing you did when you got to class?”

“If I asked your teacher about her day, what do you think she would tell me?”

 

The formula:

  • Give them time
  • Share something about your day
  • Ask a few specific questions

 

And remember, next time they plop down beside you when you are resting or engaged in your own activity, pay attention, they are saying they need you. The more you are there for them in these moments, the more they will share with you in general.

 

How Rhyming Supports Literacy Success

Full disclosure…when I became a mom, I didn’t really know any nursery rhymes. And frankly, that felt a bit weird because, I am a speech therapist!  But up until that point, my career had largely focused on work with adults.

A friend told me about a local “Mother Goose” program for new moms and babies, where you learn nursery rhymes in a group setting. Sure, my daughter slept through half the classes, but it was fun and I left feeling satisfied that I was learning something for her benefit.

Little did I know at the time that we had taken the first steps toward literacy success.

Phonological awareness is a term used to describe a person’s awareness of and ability to manipulate the sounds of a language. It allows you to rhyme, count words or syllables, and segment words into syllables and sounds.

Phonemic awareness is considered a sub-skill of phonological awareness. It is the knowledge that words are made up of individual sounds, and that these sounds are distinct from each other.

A strong correlation exists between phonological awareness in kindergarten and early reading success. Research has shown that strong readers have intact phonological awareness skills and that poor readers do not.  In fact, many reading difficulties are preventable if children are exposed to phonological awareness activities in preschool and kindergarten .

In comparison to children with little exposure to rhyme before they start school, the literacy skills of children with a good understanding of rhyme from a young age, are notably superior. This is not surprising when you consider that experience with rhyming helps children understand that words sharing common sounds, will often share common letter sequences. If you can read cat, it is easier to read mat, bat, hat.

In 1997, the US National Reading Panel was established for the sole purpose of evaluating research and evidence to find the most effective ways to teach children to read. They determined that the best approach includes instruction in phonemic awareness. They reported that children who are read to at home, especially material that rhymes, usually develop the basis for phonemic awareness.

As with many other skills, phonological awareness develops in a sequential manner. The earliest skill to develop is awareness that words can rhyme, and then the ability to produce rhymes.

Not only is rhyming fun, but also it’s an effective foundation on which to introduce and build phonemic awareness… the awareness that words are made up of distinct sounds.

Five easy ways to weave more rhyming into your child’s play:

  1. Read rhyming books together. Here is a list of rhyming books on Amazon.
  2. Encourage children to create rhymes with their names, by changing the first sound.
  3. Put together a collection of small objects that rhyme in a basket, and find the matching pairs together.
  4. Recite and sing lots of nursery rhymes in the car, in the bath, or before bedtime. Involve older children and see who can make up the silliest rhyme. Leave off the rhyming word at the end for your child to fill in. Here is a good list of nursery rhymes.
  5. Choose engaging toys that expose children to rhyming. The Snap-N-Learn Rhyming Pups is one of my favorites.

 

Here is my FREE GIFT to you. I created a colour based rhyming activity for children in preschool and kindergarten. Print it, cut out the small rhyming pictures from one page, mix them up and place them in a pile. Next, name and place the two colour circles in front of your child. He turns over one picture at a time. Help him name the picture and say the colour it rhymes with. Ask him to place the picture on that coloured circle, and together say both the words in the rhyme string (red… bed). Continue and add each rhyming word to your rhyme string, until you have a long string.

When playing with rhymes, talk about how the words rhyme because they have the same last sounds. Bring your child’s attention to the individual sounds in words and encourage her to join you rhyming. Repeat rhyming lines, and leave off the rhyming word waiting expectantly for your child to fill it in. Be silly and have fun together, all the while knowing that you are taking the first steps toward literacy success.

 

Some of my favourite early rhyming books:

 

 

 

 

And fantastic resources:

Language and Reading Disabilities, 3rd Edition (2012) Kamhi and Catts

Phonemic Awareness Instruction Helps Children Learn to Read: Evidence From the National Reading Panel’s Meta-Analysis (2001) Ehri, Nunes, Willows, Schuster, Yaghoub-Zadeh and Shanahan

 

 

 

Early Speech and Language Support Made Easy!

Becoming a parent brings with it plenty of responsibility. You brought a being into this world who is completely dependent on you and you put a lot of pressure on yourself to get it all done, leaving little if any extra time at the end of each day.

The good news is…supporting your baby’s speech and language development doesn’t require you to find extra time…NO EXTRA TIME! You can model and facilitate communication skills during your regular routines and play times.

Language skills begin to develop early.

Before he is even 2 months old, your baby stares intently at you and enjoys your attention.

By 6 months old, she watches your face as you talk, smiles in response to your smiles, and anticipates what will happen next.

By 9 months old he communicates non-verbally, uses sounds and gestures to get what he wants, and plays simple games.

It should come as no surprise that what your little one is most interested in is YOU! Take advantage of her natural interest in you to promote her attention and turn-taking skills… the skills needed to absorb speech and language modeled for her.  Good attention and turn taking skills are the foundation of oral language development.  Before learning to speak, your baby must learn to attend to others and take turns.

 

Here are 3 ways to promote good attention and turn-taking skills.

 1.  Follow your baby’s lead. Talk about what he is looking at. This helps him link sounds and words to the things he pays attention to. It also helps develop his confidence when he realizes you are interested in him and having fun with him. The more fun and interest you bring to playtime, the more he will pay attention to you.

2.  Pause regularly inviting your baby to take her turn. Get face to face, lean in, and look at her as if you expect her to take a turn. This might be a small movement or sound. Repeat your baby’s sounds and encourage her to repeat your sounds. Acknowledge her turn and continue with this pattern of making a sound, pausing and acknowledging. You are having a conversation!

3. Tempt your baby with something you think he really wants. Hold two toys in front of him and encourage him to look at or reach for one of them. Name them for him and reinforce his choice. Pause a familiar activity or routine (a song, a rhyme, shaking a rattle, a repetitive knee bounce) and wait for him to indicate he wants you to continue.

 

Whether you are talking, singing, reciting nursery rhymes, reading or playing with your baby… Follow her lead, use the power of pause and tempt her to take a turn.

Check here for some great games you can play with your baby!