Being a “speech therapist turned mommy”, one of my favorite things is chatting with other new moms about life with a little one and also answering any questions about child development.  One thing I have come across is that many parents are under the impression that you can’t “work on” speech and language until the kids are older and able to “sit and do work”.  Oh the contraire!  You are able to “work on” speech and language from birth, it just doesn’t manifest in the form of “work” but as a way of life and a way of interacting with your child.  Sure, many children pick up on things on their own and develop speech and language skills naturally, but that doesn’t mean you can’t foster even better understanding and communication.  This will help set them up to succeed at a younger age and will encourage even better social skills with peers which is very important for play dates, daycare, preschool, Kindergarten, their overall social-emotional development and LIFE in general.  Here are six simple ways to work on speech and language with a baby, toddler or preschooler and you don’t have to gather a million materials or break the bank!