“Children are primed to communicate at birth” but communication skills continue to develop as they grow and learn. You may have heard about the benefits of “serve and return.” This is just another term for back and forth communication.

Babbling is a baby’s language and it is healthy to make sounds and listen for your baby to mimic them back to you. Nursery rhymes and songs are a playful way to communicate with your little ones, too (even Bruce Springsteen! My daughter loved her Dad’s renditions).

Telling your child(ren) the story of their day is another simple, fun way to build language and communication skills, and to connect. “Sportscasting” routine moments of the day is another favorite (and proven effective). Here are some more tips, based on research, on how you can support the healthy development of your young child’s communication skills from Mind in the Making