BIRTH TO AGE 2
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Children build most of their speech and language skills during their first three years of life.
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You are your child’s first teacher. The more words your baby hears from you, the better prepared they will be to learn.
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Small, everyday moments provide powerful opportunities to help your child grow these skills. Try talking, reading, rhyming, and singing while changing a diaper, giving a bath, or preparing a meal.
TALK!
Narrate your day to your little one. What are they looking at? Name it. What are you doing? Tell your child. You may feel silly at first, but hearing lots of words helps your child learn language.
READ READ READ
Read a book to your baby every day—in whatever language you feel most comfortable—beginning at birth. And if you don’t feel comfortable reading words, you can point out the pictures in the book and talk with your baby about them.
RHYME
Say and sing rhymes like ‘The Itzy Bitzy Spider’, ‘Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes’, ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’, and ‘Wheels on the Bus’
SING
Sing the ABC song ‐ sing during diaper changes, washing hands, while you are getting their food ready
TRY THESE ACTIVITIES
Talk as You Explore
Talk to your child you go about your day - while you get them dressed, while they play, while you cook, when you're out at the store... the possibilities are endless!
Write Your Own Lullaby
Learn how to create a lullaby from singer-songwriter and mother Emily Eagen. Don't worry if you're not a singer - YOUR voice is your child's favorite voice to hear!
Play with Rhymes
Play rhyming games, listen to rhyming songs, sing rhyming songs in your home language. Rhyming is an important pre-literacy skill.
Read Everything!
Read books, letters, street signs, text messages... the more you read, the more they learn!
0-2 YEAR OLD MILESTONES
From birth to age 5, most children reach certain milestones in how they play, learn, speak, act, and move. Knowing more about these "developmental milestones" can help parents and caregivers understand more about how to help your child at home.
WHAT IF MY FAMILY SPEAKS A LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH?
Talk, read, rhyme, and sing with your child often – in both your native language as well as other languages you know. Research from brain scientists and linguistic experts tells us that a child who learns many words in their home language will have a stronger foundation for learning a second language, like English.
Studies also show that exposing a child to two languages during their preschool years may help them learn more efficiently as they grow!
Families who talk, read, rhyme, and sing, with their children – often and in the languages they know best – will prepare them for success in preschool, elementary school, and beyond.
READING WITH YOUNG CHILDREN
Reading with Young Children
Reading with Young Children
How to READ with Your Children (extended version)
Tandem's 3 Tips for Sharing Books with Young Children
Why is Letter Knowledge So Important?
