With Starling, parents can teach kids to speak earlier

The Starling by VersaMe is a gadget that clips onto your child's clothing and listens for how much verbal engagement they get.

Starling is a simple Bluetooth-connected device that survives for up to four days away from its base station per charge.

Starling comes with an assortment of attachments. You can use a clip for the child's clothes, or a circlet for your child's wrist once they're older.

The Starling app follows how many words you speak around the child per day. It also follows verbal engagement over time, so you can see longer-term trends.

The Starling app also sends daily tips if you enable notifications. These give helpful pointers for talking to young children.

Starling is drool- and waterproof, so when your child shoves the gadget in their mouth, it won't be the worse for wear. Plus, you can always just set it near your child to get a similar effect.

The Starling device itself is small enough to remain mostly unobtrusive.

Starling by VersaMe is available online for $200. Check out our full review to see whether we thought it was worth the price.