Customer Reviews

How Babies Talk: The Magic and Mystery of Language in the First Three Years of Life

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

How Babies Talk is a fascinating study that puts the latest discoveries from the Infant Language Laboratory of Temple University and the Infant Language Project at the University of Delaware into the hands of parents everywhere. Written in an easy style and organized in a usable form, this highly useful book belongs in nurseries everywhere.

In the introduction the background of our knowledge of language growth is summarized, and the reader is brought up to date on the importance of this new field of study of the development of the very young. Then the first chapter actually discusses the language experiences of the child who is still in the womb and gives suggestions on early stimulation and interaction. Next, the auditory and verbal environment of the infant is addressed. Equipped with the very latest research on what the best environment for the very young is, the new parent can enter into the child's world with confidence that what is being done will insure the best foundation the child could possibly have.

Each chapter covers a new stage of development from four months of age to thirty-six months. First the stage of development is discussed and then questions that may arise are answered. Difficulties are also addressed, such as "When should you worry?" and "It's never too early to start learning a second language." Questions that have always troubled parents are answered with up to the minute research and experience. Then, at the end of each chapter, is a feature entitled "Try This:" that will involve the parent with the child in an interactive activity.

How Babies Talk is a book that parents have needed for a very long time, and it will answer more questions than most of us have thought to ask. It belongs in every home where young children are growing up.

I found this book extraordinarily helpful in understanding and tracking my daugher's learning. I gained three valuable insights from this book: (1) a clearer understanding of how language acquisition occurs (2) specific examples of how I can assist my child with the language acquisition process (3) a valuable insight to how much my daughter can understand prior to her ability to communicate it.

This book brought additional enjoyment because after reading this book, I immediately noticed additional examples of my daughter's progression in language learning that I'd previously overlooked.

Additionally, the book contains a balanced mixture of research and specific examples. This combination makes it both credible and readable. I actually found it hard to put down, which is very impressive for a research based book!

I'd also highly recommend Baby Signs by Linda Acredolo

I looked and looked for a book like this. I just wanted to learn how a baby manages to learn language - and why my daughter's first ten words included such irrelevant words as 'duck' and 'buckle.'

The book does an excellent job at explaining just how scientists believe a child is learning at each stage. It also explains the experiments that they use and how the conclusions are reached - fascinating.

This is NOT a book to help you guage whether or not your child needs assistance. This is NOT a book to make your baby into a super-baby. This is a book that gives you clear insight into how his mind is developing. I would buy this book for anyone with a baby.

This book offers a parent some insight into the processes involved for a baby learning to speak. I have found myself rereading each age-related section as my son ages. More than anything, I think this book helped me to relax about my son's learning to talk; speech development is occuring even though it might not be verbalized at the moment. The references to the various research studies offered me some ideas about methods of communicating with my son without the aid of his speech. His glances, his reactions, all are methods of communicating with me, as long as I'm receptive enough to pay attention!

As a new parent with an interest in linguistics, I was really looking forward to this, but I was disappointed to find it boring, repetitive, and sometimes sloppily written. Parents worried about a slow talker will be made more rather than less concerned, as this book almost never acknowledges how much different children vary in the timing of developmental milestones. Those interested in an overview of language acquisition will be disconcerted by the slap-dash summaries of important findings, which often feature startling logical lapses in their explanations (there is, though, an extensive bibliography--the one aspect of the book I find praiseworthy).

The babies in the condescendingly described made-up illustrations of experiments are almost all sterotypically white and middle class (judging from their names), monolingual, and cared-for-only-by-the-mother. Perhaps this disconnect from the lives of many readers is supposed to be compensated for by the numerous "try this at home" style "experiments," which are unrealistic bits of padding that repeat points from the text (which have often been repeated at least once already).

In all, a frustrating and condescending book that makes a fascinating subject less interesting. A better introduction is the relevant chapter in Lise Elliot's "What's Going On in There: How the Brain and Mind Develop in the First Five Years of Life," a book that, much like this one, could have used some serious editing, but that is light-years better in its presentation of the material. William O'Grady's "How Children Learn Language" looks pretty good, but I haven't read it yet because it is so ridiculously expensive.

I really enjoyed reading this book,"How Babies Talk". Very informative and educational book. I am a mother of two and I enjoyed trying to my toddler and baby the parts "try this". Babies are ready to learn from the day they are born. The book tells you how to enhance language development from baby's birth. First year, even first months are very important! Don't miss this crucial period! We are the one to make enrich environment for their language development. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who has a baby or toddler!

We read this book for our Language Development class and it was a great supplement to the much drier text book reading. I highly recommend for anyone interested in Language Development and how to best stimulate your child. The text also included recommended activities and "experiments" to try with your child, so that made it especially entertaining.

This is absolutely the most interesting book about language acquisition that I have ever read. Some of the discussions will leave you amazed and saying to yourself, "I never thought of that!" Like, how do babies know to look at your eyes when you talk to them when it is your mouth that is moving? This book follows the progression of language acquision from pre-natal days to the age of three, and is written in clear, readable, relatable language, not "textbook talk." The authors are clearly experts, but their style is conversational and witty. I guarantee that this book makes for fascinating reading and a better understanding of just what a delightful process it is to find out "how babies talk."

This terrific book is a very readable overview of how babies and toddlers learn to communicate, first without words and then with words. The book has occasional boxes with tips for things that we parents can do with our kids to observe their language development and to help them develop their language, too. The book is very reassuring for parents whose kids may be slower to get to that first word. I've recommended it to a lot of new parents and they've enjoyed it, too. This is not a great choice for someone who is looking for something more technical with brain scans or linguistic analysis. It's definitely for readers who are parents, will soon be parents, or who work in childcare settings.

This is a must for every parent!! The most concise, understandable and enjoyable book about how children acquire language. If you have children or grandchildren get this book.