At a Loss for Words: How America Is Failing Our Children

Those who appreciated Meaningful Differences by Betty Hart and Todd R. Risley, and From Neurons to Neighborhoods from The National Research Council, might also like this relatively lighter read, At a Loss for Words. At least to me, these three books seem related in considering practical opportunities available for strengthening U.S. children's early relationships and language acquisition. Beyond providing physical safety, emotional security and adequate nourishment, the main thing families and caregivers can do to foster young children's best possible development is, as one of the persons quoted in this book explains, "bathe them in love and language" from birth to the time they enter school. As natural as listening, speaking respectfully, and enjoying conversations with young children may seem, apparently nationally, the habit of simply talking with infants and preschoolers enough for them to pick up the ability themselves has diminished. Statistically, our children not only start off without an adequate early language foundation, they can't compensate later once their window of learning closes as they mature. At a Loss for Words is about how our current deficient state hinders children's successful development balanced with encouraging direction about possible remedies, not only in the home, but culturally Author Bardige, a developmental psychologist, reviews recent early development research, in readable lay terms, and compares outcomes. I think she speaks helpful truths.