ADVANCE for Speech-Language Pathologists & Audiologists
The New Language of Toys is a great tool for collaboration between parents and professionals.


Book Description
Many young children with special needs experience language delays and need additional help to build language skills. What better way to encourage communication development than through play? The completely updated third edition of THE NEW LANGUAGE OF TOYS, a perennial favorite of parents, speech-language pathologists, and early interventionists, offers a plan for doing just that. The new edition presents sixty-five new toys and accompanying toy dialogues to use with children with a wide range of special needs from birth through age six. These sample toy dialogues show parents how to play purposefully with their child--using store-bought and homemade toys--to provide language learning opportunities and stimulate language development. The exercises are fun and educational, too, as parents help their child build receptive language skills (understanding), expressive language skills (communicating), and speech. THE NEW LANGUAGE OF TOYS is organized by language developmental ages and each section includes: toy dialogues numerous photographs a toy list a list of suggested vocabulary and communication concepts children’s book bibliography a checklist to track progress In addition, this book provides important background information about language, its sequential development, the causes of language delays, and how play can enhance language development. It also explains the use of videos, DVDs, television, and the computer as language enhancers. The resource lists are extensive, offering toy manufacturers and catalogs, support organizations, children’s book information, and suggested materials for homemade toys. With THE NEW LANGUAGE OF TOYS, parents can help their children make gains in their language development and have an enjoyable and rewarding experience while doing it. It’s also a great tool for collaboration between parents and professionals.


About the Author
Sue Schwartz has a Master's degree in Speech and Hearing and a doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Family Counseling. As the developer of the Parent Infant Program in the Programs for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students in the Montgomery County, Maryland Public Schools and as a presenter in workshops across the country, Dr. Schwartz has taught hundreds of parents and professionals how to help develop language skills in children with special needs. She is the editor of CHOICES IN DEAFNESS: A PARENTS’ GUIDE (Woodbine House, 1997) and a contributor to other publications. She lives in Silver Spring, Maryland.


Excerpted from The New Language of Toys: Teaching Communication Skills to Children With Special Needs, a Guide for Parents and Teachers by Sue Schwartz, Sue Schwartz. Copyright © 2004. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
From Chapter 5: Toy Dialogs for the First Year Knock Knock Blocks™ by Small World Toys This is a darling set of blocks that feature windows and doors on each of the blocks. For babies in this age category, these blocks provide a new way of playing peek-a-boo. Your baby (or you) can open the door or window and see what lies behind it. Some examples are babies, puppies, a fire station, balloons, and other interesting scenes. The set also contains some triangle blocks that can go on top of the square block to make a little house. The blocks are textured and some have jingling sounds. These sounds and textures will help if your child is visually impaired. Of course the most fun of all is to build the houses higher and higher until they topple over. Lots of laughter follows this activity! One of the blocks has a mirror hidden behind the door and babies love to look at themselves. Let’s talk about a peek-a-boo game with this toy. "Here are our blocks, Michelle. I see a little door here. Can you open the door? Let me help you. Look there is a boy holding a fish. I think he caught the fish. Throw the block. Yay, you threw the block. Here’s another one. What will we see behind the door? Peek-a-boo! Who’s there? Wow, a baker. He has a pie in his hands. Throw the block. Can you throw it far? Hooray for you. Let’s see what else we can find. Find. Open the door. Peek-a-boo who’s there? A boy with some sailboats and he has a sailor hat on. Close the door. Throw the block. This block has two doors. Open the doors. Peek-a-boo! Who’s there? Wow, two children at a party. They have party hats on." You can continue in this way with the other four blocks. Remember to point out the textures to your child. If she has a visual impairment, she may remember which blocks have which doors when she gets a little older.

FROM THE PUBLISHER