Laughing Monitos

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Chapel Hill, NC
Laughing Monitos

Speech and Language Development through Play.

08/16/2025

Ever wonder if your child’s speech sounds are on track?

By age 3, most children can say:
✔ p, b, m, h, w, d
By age 4–5, they often add:
✔ t, d, k, g, f, and some s sounds

It’s normal to mix up tricky sounds early on—but if you're unsure, a speech-language pathologist can help.

08/15/2025

You don’t need fancy toys to support language development. In fact, open-ended toys like blocks, dolls, and play food are better for building speech and creativity.

🗣 When your child plays, join in and describe what they’re doing:
🧱 “You stacked the blocks—up, up, up!”
🍎 “The baby is eating an apple!”

These moments create real learning.

08/14/2025

Even before your child can say how they feel, they’re learning the words for their emotions.

🧸 Saying “You look sad” or “That made you happy!” helps toddlers connect language to big feelings.

✔ Bonus: It helps with emotional regulation and reduces tantrums later.

08/13/2025

Eye contact helps your child focus on your face, gestures, and words—all key parts of communication.

🥰 It also helps strengthen your connection and supports social development.

✔ Try getting at their eye level during play or diaper changes. Look, smile, and talk—connection starts here.

08/12/2025

Before kids can talk, they need to understand words. This is called receptive language—and it begins early!

📦 At 12 months, many babies can understand simple commands like “Come here” or “Give me the ball.”

✔ Help build this by using clear, simple phrases and pointing or showing what you mean.

08/11/2025

Bath time, snack time, getting dressed—all of these routines are perfect for language learning!

🧼 Try saying the same simple phrases daily:

“Time for shoes!”

“Water on!”

“All done!”

✨ Repetition in context helps toddlers understand and eventually use words.

08/09/2025

Songs and nursery rhymes aren’t just fun—they support memory, rhythm, and speech patterns.

🗣️ Repetitive songs like “Wheels on the Bus” or “Twinkle Twinkle” help toddlers learn sentence structure and vocabulary.

✔ Slow down, use gestures, and encourage your child to fill in words or motions.

08/07/2025

Did you know babies as young as 3 months can learn the rhythm of conversation?

When your baby coos, pause and respond. Then wait for them to “answer” back. This back-and-forth (called serve and return) is the foundation of communication!

✔ Tip: Get face-to-face and let your baby see your expressions while you talk.

08/03/2025

Screens are everywhere—but too much passive screen time can delay speech and social development in toddlers.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends:

No screen time (other than video chatting) under 18 months

Up to 1 hour per day of high-quality content for ages 2–5—with an adult watching and talking along!

👀 Co-view, talk, and relate content to real life.

08/02/2025

Raising your child with more than one language? Great! Research shows bilingual children don’t get confused—they actually have strong cognitive and communication benefits.

🧠 Bilingual exposure supports brain flexibility, problem-solving, and attention control.

✔ Speak the language you're most comfortable with. Every conversation counts—even in two (or more!) languages.

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Chapel Hill, NC

Website

http://www.laughingmonitos.com/

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