ABOUT
Say&Play
Say&Play is a refreshing new speech and language specific class for your child. Built from an instagram page (@ReidandAnniePlay), that was labored with love and lots of knowledge about how to get babies talking. Created by two experienced speech therapists turned moms, Ally Zvibleman and Melissa Hyman. Join us for a semester of learning to communicate through gestures, sounds, and words, and check out our page for speech and language tips and tricks to use at home.
SERVICES
Want to host a class in your home? Reach out to us at sayandplayfla@gmail.com or DM us @sayandplayfla
Consultations
Unsure if a Say & Play class is right for you? Send us an email sayandplayfla@gmail.com or DM @sayandplayfla! We're happy to provide more details and discuss the benefits of our class for your child.
TESTIMONIALS
Parents Recommend
Perri L.
Following along has really helped me get my daughter speaking. She was solely communicating with gestures until I implemented some of their tips. She is now talking and I couldn’t be happier!
Marissa G.
Their tips were instrumental in the success of my child as he began speaking. Thanks to their tips, I was able to guide him into becoming the incredible speaker he is today. I find myself continuously checking in with them to make sure I have all the tools needed to succeed as a mom teaching their child the best way to speak!
Hilary G.
I love following because they’re able to give me quick little tips to improve my child’s language – and I can also refer back to confirm his progress! Thank you!
VIDEOS
Baby Development in Speech and Language
Nonverbal Communication
Vocal Play
Development of Play Skills
Before your baby starts talking, they will use what we call "nonverbal communication". Nonverbal communication is exactly what it sounds like..communicating nonverbally, or without words! Nonverbal communication can include gestures, clapping, pointing, head shaking, etc...anything your baby does to request, label, and interact with you without speaking. These nonverbal communication skills are the stepping stones to verbal communication (i.e., talking)!
Vocal play is when our babies make different sounds/noises while exploring what their mouths and vocal cords are capable of. Examples of vocal play are as seen above, or can be demonstrated by clicking their tongue, making raspberries, etc. Any type of "play" you notice your baby doing with their mouths or through sounds is a type of vocal play. This is a good sign of language to come!
Play skills are constantly evolving over your baby's first year as they learn how to interact with new items and their environment. It is also interesting to observe how their play changes when presented with the same items over time. Take a ball for example. A 3 month old will visually track, a 6 month old may mouth it, a 9 month old will crawl to it or shake it, and a 1 year old will (try) to throw!