Drawing on the latest research on development among toddlers and preschoolers, "At a Loss for Words lays out the importance of getting parents, policy makers and child care providers to recognize the role of early literacy skills in reducing the achievement gap that begins before three years of age. Readers are guided through home and classroom settings that promote language, contrasting them with the "merely mediocre" child care settings in which more and more young children spend increasing amounts of time. Too many of our young children are not receiving the level of input and practice that will enable them to acquire language skills--the key to success in school and life. Bardige explains how to build better community support systems for children and better public education, in order to ensure that toddlers learn the power of language from their families and teachers.