Oral language is the foundation of learning to read and write. Children who do not develop strong oral language skills during the preschool years may find it difficult to keep pace with their peers in later years. Conversation is crucial for vocabulary development. From age 3 onward, children should learn about 2,500 words per year (Biemiller & Slonim, 2001). They should encounter and explore at least two to four new words each day. At this session families will learn ways to encourage oral language development.