You are your baby’s first teacher!
When you open a book with your baby you are opening the world.
Birth – 3 months
Your baby learns to understand language by hearing you use it. Talk to your baby as much as you can even if it seems pointless.
Talk:
- Say your baby’s name.
- Talk while changing, bathing, and feeding your child.
- Say the names of things that you use.
- Use the same words often.
Sing:
- Sings songs while you rock baby.
- Say nursery rhymes with action, such as Pat-a- Cake.
Read:
- Read Cloth or Board books to baby.
- Point to and identify pictures in books.
Play:
- Play touching games, pat baby, gently rub baby’s arms and legs.
- Play simple touching games “Where are your toes?” “Here are your toes”
- Use mobiles over cribs at this age.
3 months – 2 years
Talk, Read, Play and Sing:
- Identify colors.
- Count Items.
- Introduce animal sounds.“The doggie says woof-woof.”
- Expand on single words your baby uses “Here is Mama, Mama loves you.”
- Read to baby. Point to pictures and ask,“What’s this?”
- Choose books that are sturdy and have large colorful pictures that are not detailed.
2 years – 4 years
Talk, Read, Play and Sing:
- Keep reading to your child. Reread favorite books.
- Read predictable books so that your child will begin to recognize repeated words and phrases.
- Teach the alphabet song.
- Put magnetic letters on your refrigerator. Ask your child to name letters as he plays.
- Play games using the alphabet in books, traffic signs, billboards, and stores.