literacyTips for Parents of Children Ages 0–2
Babies are born to learn. Just talking and reading together each day lays the foundation for them to become readers and writers! Here are some fun and simple ways to enjoy talking, reading, and writing together as you go about your daily activities:
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Tips for Parents of Children Ages 0-2
Babies are born to learn. Just talking and reading togehter each day lays the foundation for them to become readers and writers! Here are some fun and simple ways to enjoy talking, reading, and writing together as you go about your daily acitivities.
Make every day a talking day. | Make every day a reading day. | Make every day a writing day. |
|---|---|---|
| Enjoy conversations. Your child’s smiles, coos, and squeals are her way of talking with you! Make eye contact as you talk, make faces, and imitate her sounds. | Read aloud together every day. It’s never too early! Babies may want to play with the pages while toddlers want you to read the same story over and over again. This encourages a love for books and reading. Whenever you read, take time to point and name the pictures. | Let them explore with their hands. Give babies many opportunities to practice grabbing and holding toys or finger foods with their hands and fingers. |
| Talk and sing together often. Talk out loud about everything you do and see as you go about your day. You could also sing a song like “Head, shoulders, knees, and toes” while getting dressed or taking a bath. | Read words all around you. Words are everywhere – on street signs, storefronts, cereal boxes, and magazines – so take time to point them out. | Encourage them to scribble freely. Over time, you can give your child a chunky crayon. He’ll be delighted to see that he can use it to scribble on paper! After he’s done with his drawing, encourage him to tell you about his picture. |