#7 Read. Read. Read.

Seriously. This tip to early speech and language development couldn't be simpler.

When you begin to find what your child's interests are, use them to your advantantage. Bring him books. Expanding vocabulary and builiding syntax can be so fun when he has books about things he enjoys. It couldn't be easier. Does he like dinosaurs? Ask the librarian at your public library to help you find popular dinsaur books for kids your child's age. Does your little girl love ponies? Princesses? There's something for every interest. Insects. Magic. Jokes. Tractors. Sesame Street. Clifford. Baby animals. Talking dogs. It's all there.

Pick out a few books to check out. Read with excitement. Talk about the pictures. Ask questions about what you're reading.

- What do you think will happen next (before you turn the page)?
- Why did he do that?
- Which pony is prettier?
- Which insect is bigger?
- How did he do that?
- Who's funnier?
- Where do you think he's going to land?
- What was the best part of the book?

About 2 weeks ago my 5-year old boy saw the cartoon "Martha Speaks" on PBS. He was mesmerized. He loved the concept of a talking dog. And the fact that Martha's ability to talk hinged on her eating alphabet soup cracked him up. He asked us to buy a can of soup and talked about the story several times throughout the week. And when a college friend of ours who works as a professional puppeteer dropped in for a quick visit later that week, he was excited to see my son so interested in Martha. Without our knowing it, he had recently performed a compilation of the "Martha Speaks" stories and had met the author, Susan Meddaugh. Two days later, he sent my son the book "Martha Speaks." He was so excited! Our next trip to the library was quickly planned so that he could check out the rest of the Martha books.

If your child hasn't seen them yet...look them up. You'll love them.