A tried and true resource for parents and teachers—Now in its fourth printing!

When will my infant speak? What should my child’s first words be? How can I help my child develop good speech and language skills? These and other questions are raised by new parents as they contemplate the wonders of their child’s developing speech and language skills.

Now in its fourth printing, the popular book Beyond Baby Talk, written by Speech-Language Kenn Apel and Julie J. Masterson and sponsored by ASHA covers the stages of speech and language development for infants, babies, toddlers, and preschoolers.

“Parents and teachers often ask us for a book on language development that they can read and understand,” Apel explains. “We know other ASHA members get similar requests as do medical professionals such as pediatricians. We hope that they will use our book as a resource to share with their professional and personal contacts.”

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 everyday activities.

Sample Chapter [PDF]

Contents include:
• Getting Started: How You and Your Infant Create Language Together
• Earliest Words: Discovering Your Baby’s Style
• Building First Sentences: Natural Ways to Encourage Your Toddler
• From Spoken to Written Language: Setting Your Preschooler on the Right Path
• The Influence of Gender and Birth Order on Language Development
• The Influence of Culture on Language
• The Influence of Media on Language Development
• Language Development and Childcare
• When You Suspect a Language Delay: Getting Help