For Parents & Families
Parent Resources
Practical information to help parents support their child's hearing, speech, language, reading, and learning development.
Everyday Activities
Six simple ways parents can help
Parents play an important role in children's communication and learning. The Foundation's parent resources encourage families to talk, read, listen, monitor development, stay interested, model positive learning habits, and take action when concerns arise.
1
Talk!
Talk with your child from the earliest months of life. Babies especially enjoy listening to parents during everyday activities such as bathing and feeding.
2
Read!
Make time to read together every day. Even infants benefit from story time and high-interest picture books. Choose age-appropriate books and use your public library as a resource.
3
Listen!
Encourage your child to participate in conversations. Children make mistakes while learning; avoid discouraging development by overcorrecting every error.
4
Monitor!
Pay attention to your child's speech and language development and compare it with age-appropriate developmental expectations.
5
Be Interested!
Take an active interest in school activities and homework. Encourage independent problem solving and praise your child for working through difficult assignments.
6
Be a Role Model!
Show that listening, reading, writing, and learning are enjoyable lifelong activities. Set aside quiet time for independent reading for yourself and your school-age children.
Development
Hearing, speech & language milestones
Children develop at different rates, but age-specific milestones can help parents understand what skills commonly emerge as children grow.
Startles to loud sounds, listens to voices, begins making vowel-like sounds, and quiets to familiar voices.
Looks toward sounds, babbles with repeated consonant-vowel combinations, squeals when excited, and develops different consonant sounds.
Locates sounds, responds to “no-no” and their name, uses “mama” or “dada” plus another word, and enjoys music and sound play.
Responds to soft sounds, identifies familiar objects and pictures, names common objects to communicate wants, and knows approximately 10–50 single words.
Follows simple instructions, identifies body parts, recognizes many objects by name, and begins combining words.
Uses more than 300 words, begins using sentences of more than three or four words, uses pronouns, and uses language to express needs and wants.
Asks “who” and “why,” uses past tense, knows many words, produces most common consonant sounds, and is generally understandable to unfamiliar adults.
Follows three related directions, describes past activities, and understands and uses a rapidly expanding vocabulary.
Take the Initiative
When you have concerns
If you have concerns about your child's hearing, speech, or language development, discuss them with your pediatrician or primary health care provider.
Free hearing, speech, language, and developmental screenings may be available through your school district's Child Find program. Families can also contact a local Foundation-supported clinical partner for information about additional resources in their community.
Find a ClinicFoundation Support
You don't have to navigate it alone.
The Scottish Rite Foundation of Colorado supports speech and language services for qualified children through participating clinical partners. If your child may need an evaluation or therapy, start by talking with your health care provider or contacting a participating clinic.
Learn About Speech Therapy