The problem addressed by this study was children's impeded oral language development when parents do not engage them in frequent conversational exchanges during the infant and toddler years. The purpose of the study was to explore parent behaviors and perceptions. Two questions guided the study: when do parents talk with their children? and how do parents perceive their role as stimulators of oral language? Parents may not realize the significance of early and often social interactions or how participating in reciprocal verbal feedback loops develops strong receptive and expressive language skills in children. Grounded in attachment and communication theories, this study illustrated how social bonds and spoken language facilitate the way children make sense of the world. Using qualitative case study design and non-random purposive sampling, participants were 11 self-nominated English-speaking parents living in Ross County, Ohio with children younger than 42 months old who were speaking recognizable words. The research methodology consisted of observations of dyad play in a public library playroom and telephone interviews to collect data about parents' lived experiences. Using Microsoft Word, the researcher transcribed and coded the recordings according to dyad verbal exchange frequency, who initiated talk, and whether the verbiage was directive or conversational in nature. The results showed that children initiated more open-ended talk than parents; when parents were active listeners and intentionally responsive, a volley effect of elongated topical conversations occurred. Key recommendations for future research include studying the habits and perceptions of diverse demographic parent groups and the effect of particular deprivations on language learning. Because there is a dearth of literature about the use of toys and partner play as oral language stimulation devices, education about activities and strategies might be of practical use to parents and early childhood teachers. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]