Laughing Monitos

🐒✨ FREE Bilingual Preschool Readiness Class — TODAY & next Sunday!

Come play, sing, and see how we get little ones ready for preschool in English AND Spanish.

🗓 Sunday, June 7 OR Sunday, June 14
⏰ 4:00–5:00 PM
📍 The Nest · 1712 Willow Drive, Chapel Hill, NC

What to expect:
🎵 Bilingual songs & circle time
🧩 Hands-on play-based learning stations
💬 Language tips you can use at home TODAY
👀 A first look at our 8-week summer program

Ages 3–5 · Parents welcome · No cost!

👉 Save your spot at laughingmonitos.com or call/text 919-904-4476

https://forms.gle/h66axwK65N2Dikz1A

Tag a bilingual family who needs this! 👇

RSVP at: https://forms.gle/7HX8aGdYmw9nEzM98

Speech therapy isn't only for kids who stutter.

Late talking, understanding words, and even feeding struggles all fall within a speech therapist's scope. If your toddler isn't where you expected, that's reason enough to ask.

One of the most common things I hear from parents: "I didn't think speech therapy was for my child because she doesn't stutter."

Stuttering is one small corner of what speech-language pathologists address. For toddlers, the more common reasons families come to us are late talking, difficulty understanding directions, limited pointing or gesturing, frustration at not being understood, and feeding or swallowing concerns.

If something about your toddler's communication feels off, even if you can't name what it is, that's worth a conversation.

RSVP here: https://forms.gle/7HX8aGdYmw9nEzM98

An important social skill to practice at home before sending your child into the classroom:

Sit across from your child during play. Hold the toy up near your eyes. Wait for them to look at you before handing it over. That shared glance is joint attention, and it is the foundation every other language skill is built on.

Before words, before sentences, before preschool drop-off, your toddler needs to learn how to share a moment with you.

That skill has a name: joint attention. It means your child can look at the same thing you are looking at and know you are both experiencing it together. It sounds small. It is not. Joint attention is the single strongest predictor of language growth in late talkers.

Here is one way to practice it today. Sit across from your child, not beside them. Hold a toy they want up near your face, between your eyes. Wait. Do not hand it over until they look at you, even for a half second. When they do, smile and give it to them right away.

Five minutes of this a day is enough. You are not drilling a skill. You are showing your child that looking at people is how you get what you want, and that conversation starts there.

Are you a family living in rural North Carolina with a toddler?

The ROOTS Study at UNC is looking for participants to help improve how families access early intervention autism services. If your child is 48 months or younger and was either recently diagnosed with autism or is currently awaiting an evaluation, you may be eligible to participate!

Perks for participating:

Free diagnostic evaluation & summary report (if needed).
🗺️ Guidance navigating early intervention resources.
💵 Up to $100 compensation + travel support.
📈 A no-cost follow-up developmental evaluation.

Help us grow stronger roots for early intervention. Tap the link in our bio to fill out a quick contact form and a researcher will reach out to answer your questions!

https://tinyurl.com/RootsStudy25

You share what you're noticing. The SLP asks questions and listens. Together you decide whether to keep watching, do an evaluation, or start services. No scary testing. No labels. No pressure on call one.

A lot of parents sit with their worry for months before they call a speech-language pathologist. Not because they don't want answers, but because they don't know what they're walking into.

Here is what actually happens on a first call.

You talk. You share what you've been noticing, how many words your toddler is using, what communication looks like at home, what your gut is telling you. The SLP asks follow-up questions and might ask you to describe a typical mealtime or play session.

At the end of that conversation, you land in one of three places: keep watching with a check-in in a few months, schedule a full evaluation to get a clearer picture, or move straight into services if the fit is clear.

That is it. No testing on the first call. No diagnosis. No commitment to anything.

If you have been sitting with a worry about your toddler's talking, a 15-minute phone call is the lowest-stakes next step there is.

🎒 Try a Free Bilingual Preschool Readiness Session! ✨

Is your little one preparing for a Spanish immersion or bilingual preschool? Give them a head start and come see what Laughing Monitos is all about!

We are hosting FREE trial sessions specifically designed for children ages 3 to 5 to build their bilingual confidence and essential preschool skills.

🌟 What We Focus On:

Fine Motor & Creativity (English & Spanish art)

Color & Shape Recognition (Reinforced in both languages)

Sharing & Turn-Taking (Cultural social norms and language)

Listening & Storytime (Bilingual stories & vocabulary)

📅 Event Details:

When: June 7 or June 14 • 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Where: The Nest 1712 Willow Drive, Chapell Hill, NC

Age Group: 3 to 5 years old

⚠️ Spots are limited! Help your child thrive in a bilingual classroom environment—reserve your spot today!

👉 https://forms.gle/WmCz3PqA4U1ATwrM7 or DM us for more information!

You can also follow on Instagram to see more.

Laughing Monitos