"Polly want a cracker?" is language modeling in its simplest terms. When a parrot hears a human voice repeating the same thing over and over again, chances are they will utter the phrase -- often when you least expect it. Language modeling refers to stating or restating sentences. Modeling is used to expose correct grammatical structures without requesting imitation.

Fortunately, a child's brain is more advanced than a parrot's brain, and a child is able to understand and process large amounts of language rapidly. At birth, the human brain is not fully developed. The brain cell connections develop during the first 10 years of life with the most rapid growth being seen during the first three years. Researchers have found that development in the first few years of life can establish patterns for life-long learning.

Parents can take advantage of this critical time period and expose their children to daily language enrichment. Constant stimulation of language will help increase your child's vocabulary, understanding, speech-sound development, sentence use, problem solving and pre-academic skills -- all just by talking!

What Can Parents Do?
Parents should provide an environment that is stress-free, positive and enriching.

• Always be positive and use a pleasant voice. Children respond well to verbal reinforcement and it's their greatest motivator. For example: "Nice talking." "I like the way you used your words."
• Don't place high expectations on your child to perform or say things they may not be developmentally ready to say. Try to keep language-learning fun for both you and your child.
• Create environments that will expose your child to new things: take a walk down the street, go to the grocery store or the zoo.

How to Model Language
It really is simple -- just talk! Language modeling can be as simple as rephrasing your child's sentence from "her riding" to "she is riding." It is important to take every opportunity to model language with your child. You don't need a degree in speech-language pathology (although it does come in handy) to model grammatically appropriate sentences to your child. Here are some terms and examples to help you get started:

• Self-Talking: This refers to talking about everything you are doing, seeing or hearing while they are happening. For example, while walking down the street you say, "I like pushing this stroller. It is hard to push the stroller up the hill. Look at that beautiful flower. I like the smell of this flower. I hear the birds singing."
• Parallel Talking: This is when you talk about everything your child is doing while he/she is doing it. For example, your child is playing with a doll. You say, "You have a little doll. Oh, you are feeding the doll. I like the way you are rocking the doll."
• Expanding an utterance: This refers to adding words to your child's sentences. By expanding your child's sentences you are modeling advanced grammar and expanding vocabulary. For example, your child says, "See the train." You expand this sentence by saying, "Yes, I see the big, black train driving on the tracks."

Modeling is also effective to encourage speech-sound development. In most cases, as your child develops speech sounds, you may hear your child substitute or omit sounds in words. This is part of normal speech development. You can help your child enhance his or her pronunciation by saying the word while exaggerating the sound. For example, your child says, "doddie" for "doggie," exaggerate the "g" in the middle of the word: "DoGGie!" If they omit a final sound in a word, "ca" for "cat," then exaggerate the final "t": "caT." Remember, you are not requesting that your child repeat it, you're just providing a correct model of the sound.

If you consistently use good speech and language modeling, chances are you will soon hear your child improve and use more "adult-like" sentences. But be patient. Rome wasn't built in a day!