This resource list provides a collection of resources on how infants and toddlers develop communication and oral language.
IEL Resources
- Tip Sheets:
- Video: Language Development, Communication, and Literacy
- Blog: Parallel Talk: A Simple Way to Provide English Vocabulary
- Podcast: Language and Literacy in Inclusive Early Childhood Programs
Web Resources
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5 Steps for Brain-Building Serve and Return
(also in Spanish)Source: Center on the Developing Child (Harvard University)
This article provides information regarding “serve and return” which is the back and forth interaction between adults and children that helps build a strong foundation in a child’s brain for all future learning and development.
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Activities to Encourage Speech and Language Development
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)
This article provides ways to help your child learn to understand and use words.
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Communication and Your 1- to 2-year-Old
(also in Spanish)Source: Nemours KidsHealth
This page contains information on how children communicate and how care providers can encourage communication in 1-2 year old children.
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Communication and Your 1- to 3-Month-Old
(also in Spanish)Source: Nemours KidsHealth
This page contains information on how babies communicate and how care providers can communicate with 1-3 month old babies.
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Communication and Your 4- to 7-Month-Old
(also in Spanish)Source: Nemours KidsHealth
This page contains information on how babies communicate and how care providers can communicate with 4-7 month old babies.
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Communication and Your 8- to 12-Month-Old
(also in Spanish)Source: Nemours KidsHealth
This page contains information on how young children communicate and how care providers can communicate with 8-12 month old children.
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Communication and your Newborn
(also in Spanish)Source: Nemours KidsHealth
This page contains information on how babies communicate and how care providers can communicate with newborns.
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Communication Milestones Infant to Two Years
Source: Albert Einstein College of Medicine
This 7-minute video by Lisa Shulman, M.D., uses video of babies and toddlers to show the communication milestones expected in typically developing children. She also discusses what parents should do if they suspect their child is developmentally delayed.
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How Parents and Families Support Oral Language and Vocabulary
Source: Head Start
This document provides information on how to support baby, toddler and preschooler’s oral language and vocabulary development.
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Learning to Talk and Listen: An Oral Language Resource for Early Childhood Caregivers
Source: National Institute for Literacy
This booklet summarizes the research on children’s language development and presents themes about how to help children build their oral language skills during the preschool years.
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More than Baby Talk: 10 Ways to Promote the Language and Communication Skills of Infants and Toddlers
Source: University of North Carolina
This document is a guide that provides information on promoting language development and communication skills in infants and toddlers, including 10 key practices.
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Understanding Children: Language Development
Source: Iowa State University Extension and Outreach
This page offers a free download for the Understanding Children: Language Development document. This document aims to help care givers learn typical language skills and how to nurture those skills in age categories from newborns up to age six.
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Young Children’s Oral Language Development
Source: Reading Rockets
This article presents an overview of the process and mechanics of language development, along with implications for practice.