Small Talk

A parent's guide to the psychology of speech development and body language in babies and children up to three years; Includes an overview of general development and how progress in other areas affects language; Contains practical tips in chart form throughout; Includes questions and answers highlighting common concersn for each age group; Essential reading for parents and anyone involved in childcare

Table of Contents:
Introduction 6; The theories behind language development. The importance of stimulation. Positive reinforcement and having fun. General development. Siblings and twins. Gender differences. Bilingual children. Children with special needs. Childcare and playgroups. Tantrums, social and emotional behaviour. Ages & Stages 12; What to expect in each age range, including: Language development, listening skills and body language; top tips for recognizing and stimulating your child's expression; questions and answers relating to common concerns, such as shyness, the pros and cons of television, speech delay; charts showing the link between language development and other areas such as hand-eye co-ordination, movement, intellectual, and social and emotional milestones. 0-3 Months 22; Cries from hunger, thirst, even boredom. Is dominated by reflex reactions at first, then arm and leg movements start to become more deliberate. Fingers become more flexible. Head control improves. Maintains eye contact. Shows first smile. Pays attention to sounds and familiar faces. Makes at least two distinct sounds by 3 months. 4-6 Months 34; Curiosity increases. Uses hands in synchrony. Makes greater range of sounds and vocalizes to attract attention. Demonstrates first signs of crawling. Enjoys familiar situations such as feeding and bathing. Is alert for longer periods during the day. Plays with toys more purposefully; uses a wide range of facial expressions 7-9 Months 46; Explores toys in new and interesting ways. Sits unsupported, rolls comfortably from side to side and crawling movements become more co-ordinated. Makes vowel-consonant combinations and uses two syllable babbles consistently. Appears to understand your voice tones. Is skilled at attracting your attention and initiates social contact. 10-12 Months 58; Increased mobility and hand-eye co-ordination lead to greater exploration of surroundings. Combines different syllables. May say one or two words, but not distinctly. Listens to instructions and understands "no". Moves body to rhythm of music. Loves interactive games. Concentrates for longer periods. Points to objects in book when you name them. 13-15 Months 70; Points when wants something. Recognizes own name. Uses 5-6 words appropriately and understand far more than he can say. Shouts when annoyed. Interested in television and videos. Starts to walk. Shows first signs of imaginative play. Begins to learn names of body parts. Sings along with you. 16-18 Months 82; Uses up to 50 words by 18 months. Gesticulates to make wishes known. Understanding of words increases dramatically. Is fascinated by picture books. Responds to simple questions. Still babbles but uses wider range of sounds, pitches and intonation patterns. Increased mobility and manual dexterity help her to understand the world. 19-21 Months 94; Combines two words in a sentence, although not necessarily in the right order. Finds certain sound combinations difficult and pronunciation is still unclear. Imitates adults. Increased control over body movements and balance. Constantly manipulates and investigates objects. Enjoys variations of familiar interactive games. Imagination develops. Plays alongside other children. 22-24 Months 106; Begins to use language to express feelings. Asks simple questions. Anticipates sequences of events. Begins to understand categories. Can understand quite long sentences. Speech vocabulary increases rapidly. Uses three word combinations. Manipulative and investigative skills continue to improve. Uses objects appropriately. Loves 'pretend' play. 2-2-1/2 Years 118; Starts to play with other children instead of alongside them. Has more sense of herself as a separate person and of the needs and feelings of other people. Tantrums occur when her wishes are thwarted. Begins to use grammatical markers to make her meaning clearer. Imaginative play really takes off. Uses up to 200 words by 2-1/2 years. Enjoys stories, rhymes and music. 2-1/2 - 3 Years 130; Follows more complex sentences. Uses verbs and verb forms. Begins to ask "why" questions; can concentrate for long periods but at times is easily distracted. Imitates long sequences of actions. Understands meanings that are not stated

About the Author :
Dr Richard Woolfson is a child psychologist, writer and broadcaster. He appears regularly on radio and television and writes about child and family development for many magazines, including Practical Parenting and Our Baby. He is the author of Bright Baby, Bright Toddler and Bright Child.