Description

In this episode, Michelle kicks off a two-part series focusing on critical developmental skills that precede speech. While many parents and caregivers eagerly await a child’s first words, several foundational milestones must occur first to support successful communication. Michelle breaks down these essential skills, offering practical advice for parents, caregivers, and speech-language pathologists on how to spot them and why they matter.

Michelle explores the importance of early interactions, such as reacting to the environment and responding to people. She explains how simple activities like playing with crinkly toys, listening to music, or engaging in "peekaboo" help build the cognitive framework for language. The discussion also covers the significance of turn-taking, attention span, and joint attention—skills that serve as the building blocks for future conversational ability. 

Chapters

00:00 – Introduction to Foundational Language Skills Series

01:53 – Reacting to Events in the Environment

03:40 – Responding to People and Developing Social Awareness

05:03 – The Importance of Turn-Taking in Early Communication

06:15 – Anticipating Events and Developing Object Permanence

07:35 – Developing Attention Span: Age-Appropriate Expectations

09:00 – Transitioning from Child-Led to Adult-Directed Play

10:21 – Shifting and Sharing Joint Attention

12:00 – The "Tell, Show, Help" Method for Caregivers

14:50 – The Impact of Screen Time on Early Development

Quick Notes

Host: Michelle, Speech-Language Pathologist

Key Concepts Discussed:

• Reacting to the Environment: Encouraging infants to use all senses (sight, sound, touch) to interact with their world.
• Social Responsiveness: Promoting eye contact, tracking, and listening to voices to establish two-way communication.
• Turn-Taking: Using games like peekaboo to teach the back-and-forth nature of conversation.
• Joint Attention: The ability to share focus on an object with another person, a critical precursor to vocabulary development.
• "Tell, Show, Help": A strategy for teaching new skills by verbally explaining, demonstrating, and then physically assisting the child.

Resources Mentioned:

• Child Yoga: A recommended activity to get children moving and ready to focus before seated tasks.
• Connect with Us: If you have questions about early childhood development or want to share your experiences, connect with us on Instagram @AMN_allied.

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