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2018 PAL Awards
Play on Words speech and language expert Sherry Artemenko recognizes exceptional toys, games and books that encourage language, spark fun and invite creative play.
all PAL Award winners
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Win a PAL Award for toys, books & games:
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video toy reviews
Video reviews of our PAL Award winners with tips on how to advance language through play • see PAL tips... ►
See more video reviews... ► Sherry, thank you so much for working with my girls for so long. Your kindness, thoughtfulness, insight and professionalism made our experience so meaningful. My husband and I appreciate all you have done for them. Let’s keep in touch. Thanks again.
Mother of 3 and 5 year-old girlsGreenwich, CTThank you Sherry! You are a BIG help and Max adores you.
Maria, mother of a 5 year-old boyFairfield, CTSherry, thanks for giving us back our son. We are so grateful for everything you did for Ben and our family. Not seeing you every week makes me feel that something is missing… but we look forward to a summertime walk! We miss you,
Nicole, mother of 2 year-old boy who was dismissed from therapyWestport, CT
Category Archives: Birth-3 year-olds
“Soft Peek-A-Boo Block” by Blue-Box Toys
I love when siblings join in and play with a toy together but at different levels of learning These colorful, soft blocks were easy for our 8 month-old tester to grab for exploration by hand or mouth. The moulded pictures … Continue reading
Posted in Birth-3 year-olds, Toy Reviews
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Pick Up the Pitch, Talking To Your Baby
When a stranger walks up to your baby and starts talking in a high pitched sing-song manner, “Hi Sweetheart, what a cute little girl you are!” your baby loves it. Many adults naturally approach a baby in this way with … Continue reading
Baby Toys That Expand to Early Pretend Play
Two new baby toys by Early Years have double play potential as they provide multi-sensory experiences for your baby and later pretend play props for your toddler or preschooler. Here are my reviews: “Baby Tea Party” by Earlyears is a … Continue reading
“Lil’ Shopper Playset” by Earlyears
Grab your recyclable bag and head off to your pretend grocery store with your “Lil’ Shopper Playset” by Earlyears. Babies learn all about textures, colors and sounds exploring this bag full of food. The shiny blue carton of milk was … Continue reading
“Baby Tea Party” by Earlyears
“Baby Tea Party” by Earlyears is a fuzzy 6 piece set for baby’s first exploratory tea party. Full of varied textures, colors and sounds, each piece has a friendly face to invite investigation. With a teapot that sings, “I’m A … Continue reading
Turn Down the Noise to Encourage Baby’s Language Development
Do you ever get frustrated trying to hear a voice in a noisy restaurant or a crowded party? Babies have more difficulty distinguishing foreground sounds (such as calling his name), and background noise (TV, radio, or loud voices), than do … Continue reading
Zoe’s First Book Review
Ten-month-old Zoe has reported in on one of her favorite books(via Mom), “Zoe and Her Zebra” by Claire Beaton. It probably helps that she shares a name with the lead character in the book. Zoe observed that the rhythm and … Continue reading
Speech Therapy Homework
Yesterday I blogged about taking speech therapy outside at this time of year and expanding a child’s vocabulary and experience using language. I always give parents homework, since that will ultimately increase progress since they are with their child a … Continue reading
Spring Apraxia Speech Therapy Outside
Now that the weather has warmed up–we hope–I have started to take my speech therapy outside. Some of my favorite successes in doing therapy have been outside. Little 2 1/2 year-old Ian was apraxic and we had spent many sessions … Continue reading
Playonwords’ PAL Award for Best DVD’s to Build Language
Playonwords’ PAL Award has announced its first winner in the DVD category. Initially hesitant to take on this category because of recommendations by the American Academy of Pediatrics for no TV watching under 2 years of age as well as … Continue reading