The Joy of Language: The Guide to Language and Learning for Parents and Caregivers

Do you know how babies learn to use speech sounds? Do you know how they figure out which sounds are words? What are the best ways to teach your toddler to use sentences? How can you make sure your child becomes social, friendly and caring? How many words should your child know by 3? How well should your preschooler speak by 4? How can you provide the best experiences for beginning reading, writing, spelling and math? What should you look for when choosing a preschool or caregiver? How can you share the joy of speech, language and learning with your child?

The Joy of Language: The Guide to Language and Learning for Parents and Caregivers will lead you through every aspect and every stage of speech and language development. It answers all your questions about how your baby, toddler and preschooler will learn through language and experiences. As this book explains, children first learn language - then they learn with language. And each chapter of The Joy of Language ends with a "Share the Joy" section - simple and effective ideas for encouraging and teaching speech, language and learning. Learn with your child, and Share the Joy!

Think about some questions you might have about how your little one will learn to communicate and learn with language. The Joy of Language answers these - and many more:

• Why does my child have difficulty pronouncing some sounds?
• Should I be using sign language with my baby?
• What should I do to increase my child's vocabulary?
• When will my child learn more complicated types of sentences?
• How do our brains "understand" social situations?
• How do mothers and fathers speak differently and affect language development?
• Should I bring my child up bilingual if I can?
• Can I teach my baby/toddler/preschooler to read?
• Should I focus on phonics when my child is very young?
• How do writing and spelling develop?
• How can I help my child develop an interest in mathematics?
• Can T.V. or other media help my child's language development and literacy?
• What are some disabilities that can affect my child's speech and language?
• How do I find the best preschool or caregiver for my child?

The Joy of Language should be a go-to resource on child development for parents, caregivers, preschool teachers, speech-language pathologists, early childhood educators, early intervention specialists and teachers of child care courses. And it is a perfect gift from grandparents, family and friends for baby showers!

The Joy of Language is an invaluable resource for your child development library. You don't need expensive toys and programs to provide the best for your child - you only need to know how to encourage the communication skills that are the foundation of social and academic success.

Tara J. Tuck began her career as an educator teaching elementary school in Massachusetts. She earned a bachelor's degree in Education at Lesley College, a master's degree in Speech and Language Pathology from Boston University, and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in Administration, Planning and Social Policy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She was awarded the James Bryant Conant Fellowship for outstanding teachers and administrators. Ms. Tuck developed and taught one of the first self-contained classes for students with severe language disabilities, and worked for many years as a speech-language pathologist specializing in teacher training and classroom inclusion. She has extensive experience with all ages of children, from toddlers through high school, and has developed and taught numerous workshops for teachers and parents on language and literacy skills. Ms. Tuck currently teaches graduate courses in Linguistics and English as a Second Language for Lesley University in addition to her work with parents, caregivers and teachers through The Joy of Language publications, seminars and web site. She very willingly gave up her New England snow shovel some time ago, and now lives in sunny Florida with her husband, enjoying writing, teaching and boating - watching the dolphins and manatees that swim up the canal for a visit.