June 1, 2005
In a cautious but hopeful tone, developmental psychologist Bardige ("All About Child Care and Early Education") has written an effective blend of introductory text and instructional manual for parents, educators, advocates, and anyone else who might care about the crucial role of language in early child development. The book opens with a foreword by "the nation's pediatrician," T. Berry Brazelton, who shares the author's belief that the acquisition and use of a rich vocabulary by age four are absolutely necessary to a child's intellectual and social development. Drawing on statistics, surveys, case studies, personal stories, and examples of successful programs, Bardige argues throughout that with so many young American children spending a major portion of their days with nonparental adults, it is vital that these adults actively support early language development. In order to do so, she insists, they must be properly trained and compensated, which today is the exception rather than the rule. Leavening this somewhat gloomy assessment with countless practical suggestions for parents and other caregivers, she concludes with an annotated list of helpful organizations and resources. Highly recommended for all public and academic libraries as well as all childcare settings. -M.C. Duhig, Carnegie Lib. of Pittsburgh
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