Lighting the Way: Developing your toddler’s language skills at home
Take the guesswork out of teaching your toddler to talk.
As a parent, you don’t get taught how to do things; you just figure it out as you go. Which inevitably leads to questions. Should I use flashcards? Apps? Sign language? My child is hard to understand… Is that normal? You deserve access to high-quality tools to help you teach your child to talk. Because let’s be honest… it’s not easy!
There is an art and a science to teaching your child to talk.
Lighting the Way, North Star’s on-demand parent training course, is designed to help you learn both the art and the science behind teaching your toddler to talk. Research suggests that children of parents and caregivers who receive coaching at 6 months of age have more advanced language skills at 4 years of age (Ramirez, 2019).
Now is the ideal time to learn skills to enhance your child’s development!
Self-paced online course for busy parents and caregivers
Perfect for children ages 6 months to 3 years
Keep your child’s communication skills on track
Teach your child to talk with confidence
During Lighting the Way, you’ll learn:
What to expect from your child’s communication from birth to 5 years
Four evidence-based strategies for developing your toddler’s language skills based on Dr. Katherine’s STAR strategy
How to teach your child to talk during your daily routines (e.g., no extra work!)
How to play with your child
How to read to your child
Course Objectives
Understand vocabulary related to language development.
Identify language milestones and know when to get help from a specialist.
Understand the parent’s role in child language development.
Understand how to implement language strategies during daily routines, play, and shared reading.
Satisfaction Guaranteed
I know you’re going to love Lighting the Way. If for some reason it isn’t right for your family, contact me within 30 days of purchase and I’ll make it right. Refunds are not available, since all content can be accessed and downloaded at the time of purchase, but I’ll work with you to make sure you get value from the course.
I HIGHLY recommend taking the "Lighting the Way" course from Northstar SLPC to any parent out there with a little one. Dr. Katherine's approach to her course is so unique from other online speech and language courses. She lays out an entire program for how to best implement her strategies in daily life. She takes the guesswork out by providing printable PDFs to put on the fridge as a reminder for the focus of the week. It was a great way for me and my husband to be on the same page while implementing her strategies.
I took the course when my daughter was 13 months and I wish I had access to it sooner! My daughter is not behind on her language milestones, however I knew I wanted to learn more about how to best help her language skills develop. After taking the course, I am noticing the daily improvement in my daughter's understanding of words and spoken words. As a mom, I worry about just about everything and it is such a relief to not worry about my daughter's language development. Take Dr. Katherine's course, you will NOT regret it!
-H.R.
Frequently asked questions.
What does Lighting the Way include?
Unlimited access to the self-paced online course
Two and a half (2.5) hours of recorded video content, worksheets, and home plan designed with adult learners in mind
Downloadable resources, including a strategy menu and resources to help you dig deeper
10% discount on online, individual parent coaching sessions (max 5, does not include speech-language therapy)
Who should take Lighting the Way?
The course is ideal for parents, primary caregivers (e.g., grandparents, foster parents), and other caregivers, such as nannies, who want to learn more about how to help their child build a strong foundation of communication skills.
Lighting the Way includes information from approximately 10 parent coaching appointments presented in an interactive video format.
How do I know if this course is right for my family?
Lighting the Way is ideal for parents and caregivers of children as young as 6 months old. If your child hasn’t yet said their first word, has only just begun talking, or only talks in simple sentences, they are at a stage of language development where they could benefit from you and other caregivers using strategies to enhance their language skills. If you’re unsure whether Lighting the Way is right for your family, contact Dr. Katherine for a personalized recommendation.
Can Lighting the Way replace my child’s individualized speech-language therapy?
No. If your child has a speech or language impairment or delay and a speech-language pathologist has recommended individual speech-language therapy, Lighting the Way is not a suitable replacement. However, Lighting the Way is a great supplement to individualized speech-language therapy, as the skills learned in the course can enhance your ability to improve your child’s skills outside of therapy.
How is Lighting the Way different from other similar courses?
Dr. Katherine designed Lighting the Way based on the evidence behind how adults learn. Just as you need to learn how to best teach your child to talk, you deserve a course that takes into account how to best guide you. Dr. Katherine’s doctoral education at Northwestern University included coursework in teaching adults, which she has thoughtfully applied to the design of Lighting the Way.
My child has a medical diagnosis, such as autism or hearing loss. Is this course right for my family?
It depends. The strategies from Lighting the Way are drawn from peer-reviewed research studies that included only typically developing children and children with only speech-language delay or impairment, not other concomitant medical diagnoses. However, many of the strategies that we know are effective for these children are also strategies that can be used with children with other medical diagnoses. Since all children and families are different, you may wish to contact Dr. Katherine for a personalized recommendation if you are still unsure.