Speech and Language Development for Young Children Hailey Paschold March 26, 2026

This two-hour workshop with a speech-language pathologist (SLP) provides an overview of how speech and language skills develop in young children, highlighting key milestones from infancy through the early childhood years. Participants will learn how to distinguish typical variations in development from potential red flags, such as limited vocabulary, difficulty following directions, or unclear speech beyond expected ages. The session will also guide educators and caregivers on when and how to seek support, including who to contact for screenings, evaluations, and early intervention services.

In addition, the workshop emphasizes universal, practical strategies that can be embedded into early childhood classrooms to support all learners, such as modeling rich language, expanding children's utterances, creating opportunities for meaningful conversation, and using visual supports and play-based interactions to promote communication skills.