Beyond Baby Talk

The book that answers parents' questions about their child's speech and language development!

When will my infant speak? What should my child's first words be? In Beyond Baby Talk ($15, 2001, Prima Publishing), Kenn Apel and Julie Masterson answer these questions (and many more!) while covering the stages of speech and language development for infants, babies, toddlers and preschoolers--in essence, the first years of a child's life.

Sample chapter [PDF] 

For example, did you know:

• By the time a toddler reaches age three she will probably be using over 1,000 words.
• Toddlers often use a different pitch when speaking to babies or animals.
• The speech of most three year olds can be understood 75% of the time. By age four, most children can be understood 95% of the time.

Along with interesting and informative facts like these, Apel and Masterson also provide useful tips for parents to encourage language development through everday activities.

Contents include:

1. Getting Started: How You and Your Infant Create Language Together
2. Earliest Words: Discovering Your Baby's Style
3. Building First Sentences: Natural Ways to Encourage Your Toddler
4. From Spoken to Written Language: Setting Your Preschooler on the Right Path
5. The Influence of Gender and Birth Order on Language Development
6. The Influence of Culture on Language
7. The Influence of Media on Language Development
8. Language Development and Childcare
9. When You Suspect a Language Delay: Getting Help

Kenn Apel, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, is a professor of communication sciences and disorders at Wichita State University. Julie Masterson, Ph.D., CCC, is a professor of communication sciences and disorders at Southwest Missouri State University. Beyond Baby Talk is sponsored by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, the national professional organization for the scientists who study speech and language development and for the clinicians who treat children with speech and language disorders.