Nancy M. and Douglas M. Yeager Family Foundation

Mommy talk, talk to me, and Let’s Talk

The Nancy M. and Douglas M. Yeager Family Foundation has a very special interest in early childhood language development.  One of the most simple and most effective ways to do this is for family members to talk to and with their children from birth until preschool.  Talk, talk, talk.  Odd as that may sound, it is a proven strategy and, wonderfully, doesn't cost a cent.  If you are a caring parent and you want your child to be ready for school (and for life after school), talk to the child every chance you get.  From morning until night.  And, of course, listen back and then respond appropriately.  It is, after all, a two-way conversation, but you, as the parent, are the leader and need to be the one initiating it, persisting in it, and never giving up.  It means so very much to your child, and it pays off big-time.  It truly is a no-brainer. For an engaging and informative paper co-written by Casey Lew-Williams, a Princeton faculty member, and Adriana Weisleder, a NYU faculty member, click here. It appeared in Frontiers for Young Minds in 2017.

Doug Yeager authored the books Mommy Talk, Talk to Me, and Let’s Talk, to deliver this message in children’s book format. We believe that new parents and their children will find the books captivating and supportive of language development.

If you would like any of our printed children's books, titled Mommy Talk, Talk to Me, or Let’s Talk send your name and shipping address to Dave Yeager at dsyeager2013@yahoo.com, and specify which you are requesting.  Mommy Talk, Talk to Me, and Let’s Talk are available in English or in Spanish.  Single copies are free to individuals and quantities are free to nonprofits, schools, public agencies, libraries, pediatricians, and pediatric clinics and hospitals.  

We have distributed more than 115,000 copies free of charge throughout the United States. Distributions have also been made in Canada, Finland, the UK, and Singapore. Let us send some to your address!

eBook editions of Mommy Talk are also available free of charge at Kindle eBooks on Amazon and at the iTunes Store, among many other web sites in the U.S. and internationally.  Although it's a bit hard to track downloads in other countries, we know that it has been particular well-received in Australia, Chile, Mexico, Portugal and, on a smaller scale, in a number of other countries.

There is a terrific article in the January 2015 issue of National Geographic Magazine on how a baby's brain needs love to develop and on the profound impact of what happens in the baby's first year.  The article not only summarizes important research in this field but also includes significant new research results. 

An excellent book on this topic is Thirty Million Words: Building a Child's Brain, by Dana Suskind.  She is the founder and director of the Thirty Million Word Initiative and is a Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics at the University of Chicago.  The book is based on scientific research that shows the critical importance of early language exposure on the developing child.

Also, a look at the website of the Princeton Baby Lab is a good idea.  Princeton University's  research efforts on early language development are truly fascinating and involve a very impressive team of faculty, graduate students, and undergraduates.  Click here.