In episode 13, Jack and Lindsay chat with ReadPlayTalk Community Board Member and founder of Puzzle Piece Kids, Natalie Evans. With Natalie’s speech pathology background, we talk about the importance of “talk” for a child and what consistent conversation does for them emotionally and mentally.

The mission of Puzzle Piece Kids is to enhance the lives of children and teens by helping them find their voice and giving them the confidence to use it. PPK's speech therapy prepares children and teens to successfully participate within their home, school, and community.
Children learn so much from their parents and from conversations in general. Through talk, kids gain the confidence that they need to express themselves. This empowers them to go into the community and communicate with the different individuals that they come into contact with. The importance of talk can be communicated simply by leading by example. 
Talking with children allows for both parties to ENGAGE in conversation. Asking questions encourages back and forth conversations. 
Mesquite ISD will be introducing LENA Start to the Mesquite community in the summer of 2021! LENA Start focuses on the language development of a child by teaching and empowering parents to better communicate with their child.
To learn more about LENA Start, head over to www.readplaytalk.com
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