Summary: One mom. A toddler speech delay diagnosis. And the unexpected discovery that made his speech skyrocket almost overnight.
If you are searching for how to help your toddler talk, you are not alone. Toddler speech delay is one of the most common concerns among parents of young children, and the overwhelm of not knowing what to do is real. Today I want to introduce you to Lacie, one of the moms inside Little Lunas Learning, who was right where you are. Here is her story in her own words.
Before I invested in Little Lunas, school time meant me surfing Pinterest all day looking for age appropriate activities to do with my 20 month old.
I didn’t have a lot of experience with babies and toddlers, so I had no clue what to do. Gunny, my son, didn’t really seem to care about textures, colors, or crafts. He just wanted to play.
I realized that he is very advanced in his gross and fine motor skills. He can run, jump, skip, hop, climb anything, put beads on a string, bring food to his mouth, and twist lids on and off, all way better than kids his own age. His LEGO building skills are amazing too.
All of this, but he could only say about 10 words.
During his 18 month checkup, I brought up my concerns with his doctor, who sent us to get tested through the state for a developmental delay.
After his assessment, they told me he is very advanced in his motor skills and problem solving, normal for social development, and a little behind in expressive and receptive language.
I went home hopeful that he would eventually catch up and resumed life as before, making small changes to encourage his development in his weaker areas.
I began to constantly narrate everything we did. I took him out to experience new things more often. I bought more stimulating toys and restarted using sign language so he would hopefully have a way to express himself.
Sadly, nothing I was doing was working. It was like that area of his brain was on hold.
I asked my fellow teacher mom friend for advice and she introduced me to Little Lunas.
Her son, only one month younger than Gunny, was way more advanced in his verbal expression. When he pointed to the color yellow and said “yellow,” I realized that my son might benefit from the curriculum too.
Given that Gunny doesn’t really like to sit still, I wasn’t sure how it would go. I had seen a lot of curriculums and most of them seemed too concept based instead of experience based. I finally realized that investing in Little Lunas would not only guide me with activities but also save me time.
I chose Little Lunas specifically because Gunny is a very physical boy. This curriculum incorporates learning through experience and doing rather than a traditional sedentary approach. So I was in.
I started with the red discovery basket and immediately Gunny was responsive. I was encouraged.
I soon realized that some activities were much more stimulating for him than others. He doesn’t like sorting, matching, or identifying, most likely because his body needs to always move. He prefers activities that involve doing. Spooning pompoms, colored rice and noodle transfers, crayons, watercolors, pipe cleaner activities, and water pouring are some of his favorites.
Little Lunas taught me more about my son and the kind of learner he is growing into. I now know which activities will open his mind and make him more receptive to what I am trying to teach him. I know that he is very analytical, likes to figure out how things work, is extremely strong-willed, and has the ability to hyper focus.
Soon after starting the curriculum, Gunny started speaking more. His speech skyrocketed.
He developed more words and started talking constantly, to himself and to everyone around him. His receptive language improved dramatically, too. He understands what we are saying when we talk to him or ask him to do something.
The flow of our days improved dramatically as well. We are not just floating from one random activity to another. He loves to color and draw now. He is holding pencils and crayons better than before and his hand-eye coordination has improved dramatically. The introduction to new activities has also led him to become more open to new experiences.
I love that it is a child-led program and there is no pressure to perform at such a young age. It is all about exposure.
If it is good for my busy, crazy, active child, it is good for all littles.
Related: How to Encourage Independent Play When Your Child Won’t Leave Your Side
What made the difference for Lacie and Gunny was not a therapy drill or a flashcard program. It was a curriculum built around who Gunny is — his interests, his learning style, and the way his body needs to move to engage.
When children explore topics that genuinely interest them, their brains open up. They are more receptive, more engaged, and more likely to communicate. But knowing how to follow your child’s lead while narrating the experience, modeling curiosity, and asking the right questions in the moment — that is a skill. One that Lacie learned through the Little Lunas Foundations Course.
Gunny’s speech did not skyrocket because he simply played more. It skyrocketed because his mom learned how to create intentional experiences around his interests, model rich language naturally, and let him explore without pressure. The curriculum gave her the framework to do all of that with confidence.
If Lacie’s story resonates with you, Little Lunas might be exactly what your family needs. Every membership begins with a $7 trial month so you can explore the curriculum with your child before committing.
During your trial you will receive access to two toddler themes, two preschool themes, and the Foundations Course — a deep dive into brain-based early childhood development that will help you understand your child the way Lacie learned to understand Gunny.
You do not have to figure this out alone. Little Lunas gives you a clear plan, activities built around your child’s interests, and the tools to support their development with confidence.
Start your first month for $7 and see what happens.
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