It Takes Two To Talk: A Parent's Guide to Helping Children Communicate [Paperback]

Ayala Manolson (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

The Hanen Centre, a charitable organization, helps young children with or at risk for language delays communicate to the best of their abilities. We do this by developing leading-edge programs and practical, user-friendly learning resources for parents, educators and other important people in children’s lives.

Our learning resources are second-to-none for their quality and practical, visually appealing format. All of our books, videos and audiocassettes can be ordered from anywhere in the world. Many have been translated into languages other than English. Hanen Guidebooks:
* are easy to read and contain beautiful illustrations
*translate the theory on early language intervention into practical, easy-to-follow strategies that can be used in everyday situations and conversations with a child
*are written by experienced Hanen Certified speech-language pathologists at The Hanen Centre
*are developed to support Hanen Programs, but can also be used on an individual basis by parents, caregivers, teachers, and speech-language pathologists.

Product Details

• Paperback: 152 pages
• Publisher: Imaginart Pr; 1 edition (June 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0921145020
• ISBN-13: 978-0921145028
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #476,169 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Practical Advise & Everyday Strategies You Can Actually Use! February 8, 2004

By Amanda Warth

My b/g twins had developed a significant delay (partly due to "twin-talk") by age 2. This was the 1st book our speech therapist gave us, and it was a LIFESAVER! Not only did it reassure me that we could overcome this delay, but it gave such practical advise, with tons of examples of how to apply them to our everyday routine.

It starts off with an overview of "what to expect" at different skill levels, and what you can do to encourage growth to the next level. Also how to adapt to your child's individual personality so that s/he is getting the most out of the experience.

A key theme in the book is how to truly COMMUNICATE with your child, not just talk, so that the child is receiving a geniune benefit that encourages them to keep trying to improve their skills. Things like eye contact, non-verbal cues, taking turns (allowing your child to lead), etc. with real-life examples of how to apply it. Changing the way you, as a parent, interact with a speech-delayed child can have a dramatic impact on their progress.

The tone is very reassuring and encouraging throughout, and I felt much more empowered to actively participate in my twins' speech development because I now had the confidence and practical tools I'd been looking for!

(BTW--the twins have made about 12 mos (developmentally) progress in the 6 mos since I've read this book!)

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful positive resource that I used for at least a year. March 9, 2011

By M. Brereton

I bought this book to help with my seriously speech delayed child who has a disability when she was about two. It is a wonderful resource. There are lots of tips and I found that I would dip into it, often each night, just to put me into a positive frame of mind before sleeping. She is now 8 and when I look back, I'd say that this book is one of my two favourites, and definitely my favourite speech development book. It really keeps you at the level of the child, which builds your empathy, helps you relate better to your child and helps you to build from where your child is at. I found it a huge source of support. It made me feel I was not alone, that others had been through this and found ways. If you can pick it up second hand it is not too much. I bought mine before it was listed on Amazon and the only option was full price. It was still well, well worth it. If you actually have to pay for speech therapy, the cost of the book is of the order of the cost of one session. This book was really a lifesaver for me. A couple of years on I gave it to another parent who needed it, and now I am back to buy another copy for a friend. My two typically developing children are older and I wish I had had it for them too. It helps you to experience language development from the child's perspective.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Practical, Encouraging, Useful for Non-Delayed Kids Too April 28, 2006

By BLB

This book assumes that parents want to know how to talk to their children in ways that will encourage speech development in the kids and communication in general. It is well-written, accessible, encouraging and positive in tone, it gives practical information in case you have worries, and it gives concrete activities and examples. They probably ought to hand it out as you leave the hospital.