Did you know you can help your child learn new words faster just by changing how you say them? It’s called acoustic highlighting, and it’s a super simple (but powerful) trick! 💡 What is Acoustic Highlighting? It’s all about emphasizing important words or sounds by changing your tone, pitch, or volume. This helps your child focus on the words you want them to learn. Here’s an example: Imagine introducing yourself in a noisy room: “My name is Eli.” Someone mishears you and says, “Hi Levi.” You respond, “Not Levi—my name is EEEEEli.” By stretching out the /EEEEE/, you highlight the key difference, making it easier for them to understand. 🎯 How to Use It with Your Child: 1️⃣ Speak Slowly and Clearly: Use a slightly higher pitch for the target word or sound. 2️⃣ Repeat It Often: Use the word in different sentences, emphasizing it each time. 3️⃣ Add Facial Expressions and Gestures: Make it engaging and fun! 📚 Here’s an Example: “Let’s play with the BAAAALLL. Look at the biiiiiiig BALL! Throw the BALL to me.” By emphasizing “BALL,” you’re making it easier for your child to understand its meaning and how to say it. This strategy is simple but so effective! What's a word your child is working on? 🤔

It’s not random—there’s a reason behind it! Let’s talk about vowels and why they’re so important for your baby’s early speech. 🔍 What Research Says Babies start to notice vowel sounds as early as 6 months old. A study by Kuhl et al. (2017) found that this skill helps them learn words later. 🌟 Why Vowels Are Important Vowels are the “heart” of words. They’re easier to hear and say than consonants, so they’re usually where babies start. Words like “mama” and “dada” are simple and have repeating patterns. This makes them easy to practice. 🚀 How You Can Help Here are some easy ways to use vowels to help your baby learn to talk: - Stretch out vowels: “Oooo, look at the moooon!” - Be fun and animated: “Aaaah, that’s a biiig yaaawn!” - Pair the sounds with actions or objects, so your baby knows what the sounds mean. The more excited you are, the more your baby will want to join in. These little things help build their language skills. 💬 What About You? Has your baby started saying certain sounds or trying out words? Share your story in the comments—I’d love to hear it!