Talk to your child, beginning at birth. Your baby needs to hear your voice. Voices from a television or radio can't take place of your voice, because they don't respond to your baby's coos and babbles.

You child needs to know that when he makes a certain sound, for example, "mamamamamama," that his mother will response--she will smile and talk back to him. The more you talk to your baby, more he will learn and more he will have to talk about as he gets older.

Everyday activities provide opportunities to talk, sometimes in detail, about what's happening around him. As you give your child a bath, for example, you might say, "First let's stick plug in drain. Now let's turn on water. Do you want your rubber duck? That's a good idea. Look, duck is yellow, just like rubber duck we saw on 'Sesame Street.'"

Talk with your child as you read together. Point to pictures and name what is in them. When he is ready, ask him to do same. Ask him about his favorite parts of story, and answer his questions about events or characters.

Teach your toddler to be a helper by asking him to find things. As you cook, give him pots and pans or measuring spoons to play with. Ask him what he is doing and answer his questions. ??

Whatever you do together, talk about it with your child.

When you eat meals, take walks, go to store, or visit library, talk with him. These and other activities give two of you a chance to ask and answer questions such as, "Which flowers are red? Which are yellow?" "What else do you see in garden? "Challenge your child by asking questions that need more than a "yes" or "no" answer.

Listen to your child's questions patiently and answer them just as patiently. If you don't know answer to a question, have him join you as you look for answer in a book. He will then see how important books are as sources of information.

Have your child tell you a story. Then ask him questions, explaining that you need to understand better.

When he is able, ask him to help you in kitchen. He might set table or decorate a batch of cookies. A first-grader may enjoy helping you follow a simple recipe. Talk about what you're fixing, what you're cooking with, what he likes to eat, and more.

Ask yourself if TV is on too much. If so, turn it off and talk!