For Kids
Babies and Early Literacy
"Children are made readers on the laps of their parents." — Emilie Buchwald |
What your infant can do:
- Babble, coo and squeal
- Follow your movements and the sound of your voice
- Experiment with his senses - touch, grasp, taste, chew
- Stare at nearby objects
What you can do:
- Prop board books next to your baby
- Point to and name familiar objects in board books; e.g. baby faces
- Use books with sharp contrast or bright colors and textures
- Talk about what you are doing to encourage babbles, cooing and squeals
- Rock your baby while singing or sharing nursery rhymes
What your older baby can do:
- Grab for and grasp objects
- Follow simple directions and play simple games
- Imitate your speech and sounds by listening to you talk
What you can do:
- Cuddle your child
- Let them turn the pages and use books with movable parts
- Play "peek-a-boo" and "pat-a-cake" and other musical games with hand movements
- Teach new words by pointing to objects, naming them and talking about them
- Ask questions as you read simple stories over and over again
Resources for choosing great books:
Reading together and reading aloud is fun and important for young children. Hearing books read aloud gives young children a good start in building vocabulary, learning about their world and loving books.Books Make The Best Beginnings
Read Together Read Aloud
Lean Juntos, Lean en Voz Alta