Product Description

This represents the most important research into childcare of the decade and BabyTalk's down-to-earth sensible approach shows how all parents can apply Dr Ward's programme. Children who had gone through the programme accelerated their language and comprehension skills at least a year beyond their age with a dramatic increase in their IQ.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #237178 in Books
• Published on: 2000-03-02
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 307 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
BabyTalk is a revolutionary new child-care programme that aims to optimise your child's language development, enhance the ability to concentrate and learn, enrich imaginative play and maximise potential intelligence. Over 20 years of research led language therapist Dr Sally Ward to develop this extensive yet surprisingly simple and common-sensical approach to child care.

Based on the simplest of principles--spending time with your child--BabyTalk takes in all stages of your child's young life, from babyhood to toddler, and follows a step-by-step programme that encourages parents to devote half an hour a day to concentrating solely on the needs of the child so as to help them learn to concentrate, listen, understand and communicate and build firm foundations for future learning.

Dr Ward explores the world of toys, books, TV and video, placing them in the context of a child's life, and looking at when their introduction is most appropriate. She also talks through the different stages of babyhood, chronicling the good signs and the bad, but making clear the fact that all children develop at different stages, and if a parent is truly worried about their offspring then a checklist in a book is no replacement for professional advice.

All in all, BabyTalk is an accessible, sound programme that is simple to follow and demands nothing of a parent other than a few minutes every day to focus on and enjoy the company of their small child. --Susan Harrison

About the Author
Dr Sally Ward qualified as a speech and language therapist in London before marrying and moving to Manchester where she had three children. From 1980 she worked at the Mancunian Community National Health Service Trust, and was appointed Chief Speech and Language Therapist with responsibility for children with language, hearing and learning difficulties. She was also appointed Advisor in Developmental Language Disability to the Royal College of Speech and language Therapists. Following the completion of her PhD, she became the Trust’s Principal Speech and Language Therapist. From there she went on to develop the BabyTalk programme. Sadly, Sally died last year.

Customer Reviews

Some great insights, but not really enough to fill a book!
The idea behind this book is a simple one. It suggests that in order to help your child's language development, you should dedicate 30 minutes a day to give them 100% attention (which has to be a good thing regardless of whether or not it helps their language). It explains how language is learnt, and how to use those 30 minutes to best effect.
The suggestions include things like making sure there is no background noise (young children can't distinguish between background and foreground noise); commenting on what your child is doing, not trying to direct his/her focus of attention, not asking questions, but making listening fun (eg by making silly noises and playing games). Using lots of repetition, and always responding to what your child means, even if it isn't expressed as 'speech'.
The book is arranged chronologically - so it tells you how to work with a child during the first 6 months, then 6-12 months, etc. In terms of advice, the chapters contain a large amount of repetition - ie, the techniques you use for a 6 month old aren't massively different from those you use with a two year old. So in a way, I felt the book could have been much shorter, but on the other hand, having all the information in every chapter does make it easy to dip into.
Although I think the content was good, I also think the main ideas could be summed up in a magazine article, rather than in a book of a couple of hundred pages. Also, as a mother of 18 month old twins, I found the one to one sessions didn't work too brilliantly. I tend to try and spend most of my day with my kids anyway, and they didn't seem to value their separate time with me, and didn't like being left with a neighbour (or whoever) whilst I did my one to ones with their sibling. So at the moment, I've put the one to ones on hold (I might go back to them in the future) but I do use the techniques recommended by Sally Ward now in my every day interactions with them, almost as second nature.

I wish I had had this book from Day 1
I bought this book because at 14 months my son wasn't saying any words. He was making lots of noises but there was nothing recognisable as a word. From within a week of starting the BabyTalk programme he had started to make certain noises consistently and after three weeks there were the first hints of words. Within a month came his first word, "No" - I am not sure if this is a comment on my parenting skills. During this period his non-verbal communication skills improved as well as his ability to focus on games and toys. Arguably this was going to happen anyway but I feel that working with the BabyTalk programme definitely helped.

The book also provides interesting and valuable information on general milestones, e.g. what kinds of hand control they should be exhibiting at different ages.

The best part is that I really enjoyed working/playing with my son in the way outlined in the book and the rewards have been quick and gratifying.

Don't expect miracles
I'm afraid I didn't find this book as helpful as the other customers. I have followed the advice in the book for my 26 month old since she was a year old but her speech is very average. In fact, it was the introduction of basic sign language that improved her speech the most. In another case, my friend's child who is two months older, was speaking sentences at two years old. Her mother did everything Sally says not to - drumming words into them, asking questions to get them to speak constantly, etc. It worked for her.
In summary, I believe all of Sally's ideas are great, I really enjoy the concentrated time with my daughter and now my son, encouraging listening skills, not pressuring them to say things, etc. However, in my experience, my daughter's speech did not advance due to the methods I used in the book - perhaps I was just too laid back - I knew it would come when she was ready!