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- Find objects in your home like those in a book you’re reading.
- Narrate what you’re doing: “I’m tying your shoes.”
- Make a cozy place with pillows and blankets to read together.
- Recite a nursery rhyme while bouncing your child in rhythm.
- Attend a FREE Library storytime.
- Give your child old magazines to practice turning pages.
- Ask your child to point to objects in book illustrations.
- Sit on a blanket outside and read together.
- Read out loud the words on signs at the park or on the street.
- Learn a fingerplay with your child. This link has ideas: www.wccls.org/rhymes.
- Let your child hear you reading your own book, newspaper or magazine out loud.
- Let your child choose the book you read together.
- Name aloud the things you see as you walk in the neighborhood.
- Make all the sound effects as you read a story.
- Sign up for Quick Text Tips by texting DML-Tips to 38671.
- Ask your child to point to specific objects or colors they see.
- Look for bugs outside, then share a book about insects.
- Read a book using your silliest voices.
- Read labels and signs aloud to your child at the grocery store.
- Borrow a children’s music CD from the Library and listen to it in the car.
- Share a book with flaps, textures or movable parts.
- Have a “conversation” with your baby using nonsense sounds.
- Play music and dance with your child.
- Read a book about an experience your child will have, like a doctor visit.
- Download children’s eBooks, video or music from DaytonMetroLibrary.org.
- Visit a fire station and read a book about fire fighters.
- Play “I Spy Something Red” and the other colors you see.
- Read a book about animals and let your child make the animal sounds.
- Sign up for FOCUS Early Literacy email news at DaytonMetroLibrary.org.
- Use your phone or tablet to video record a loved one reading, singing or doing a fingerplay. While waiting in line, or before bed, watch the video together.
- So called “educational media” isn’t always educational. Check out the website Common Sense Media; it’s published by a nonprofit organization that reviews and recommends quality movies, music, apps and more.
- Talk to your Children’s Librarian about your child and get book recommendations especially for her.
- Make a book about things your child does every day, and read the book aloud.
- Let your child turn the pages of the book you share.
- Print your child’s name in big letters and help him trace the letters with his finger.
- Hide behind a chair, letting your child see part of you. Call out, “Where am I? Come find me.”
- Take a picture of your child “reading,” then look at it and talk about it together.
- Read a book about vehicles and the sounds they make.
- Shake a rattle or jar of dried beans in rhythm to a song.
- Sing to your child (your favorite songs as well as theirs).
- Sing the ABCs in the car together.
- Create a spot in your home for a box or basket of board books your child can easily reach.
- Bring a doll or stuffed animal to the Library and have the toy engage in activities with your child.
- Learn and say a counting rhyme with your child.
- Ask your toddler silly questions to which the answer is “no” (every toddler’s favorite word): “Does the cat drive the car?” “Does daddy use a sippy cup?”
- Make a routine of counting stairs aloud as you go up or down. This helps your toddler learn one-to-one correspondence with numbers.
- When teaching your toddler a new word, ask him to pronounce it. Then, find opportunities to use the new word throughout the day. Practice makes perfect!
- Whenever possible, let your toddler choose between two options. For example: Do you want a banana or cheese for a snack?
- Have fun with your toddler by chanting a rhyme that he knows, but with surprising new words: “The eensy weensy spider went up your brother’s nose!”
- Questions like, “It’s raining today. What do you think you should wear?” will help your toddler develop her reasoning skills.
- To build language skills: Repeat what you hear your toddler trying to say, but use correct pronunciation, so that she knows you understood.
- Learning the ABCs: As you drive around, ask your toddler to tell you whenever he sees a stop sign. Together say the letters: S-T-O-P.
- Make a sensory bin: Fill a container with cereal, rice or dry pasta and let your child play! Good idea: spread a sheet underneath for cleanup.
- Swing & Learn! Emphasize the rhythm of language by singing a song or reciting rhymes while pushing your child on a swing.
- Toddlers enjoy painting with just a brush, water and paper – and you'll enjoy the easy clean up!
- Go on a Shape Hunt in the house. Find something round, something square. When toddlers can recognize shapes, it helps them learn to recognize letters.
- Try printing your toddler's name in big letters, then help her trace the letters with her index finger. Repeat the letter name and sound as you trace it.
- Keep reading, even if your toddler moves away from you. Sitting still can be hard! He's still listening, and may come back to see pictures on the next page.
- Hold a book upside down or start reading from the end, and see if your toddler corrects you. Your child is learning how books work!
- Ask your toddler to pretend to be different animals – a dog, a cat, an elephant – and ask her what sounds that animal makes.
- When you find first letter of your child’s name in print, be sure to point it out: “Look there’s the letter A just like in Andy!”
- When out with your toddler, talk about what you hear: “Do you hear the car horn? I hear wind in the trees.” Tuning into sounds builds listening skills.
- Don't throw that wipes container away! Turn it into an instrument. Your toddler will enjoy tapping it with a spoon while you sing or dance to favorite tunes.
- When reading, don’t worry if your toddler wants to skip pages. Go with the flow so the experience is fun for both of you.
- Next time you read to your toddler, start reading from the last page and go backward. Does your child stop you? She’s learning how books and reading work!
- Read it again! There are thousands of words in books that don't appear often enough in conversation for children to learn their meanings.
- You can turn a trip to the grocery store into a lesson on color identification: “Here’s a red apple and here’s a green apple. Which color should we choose?”
- Let your toddler play with pots, pans, spoons, plastic cups and boxes - simple household items can be great fun!
- Songs are a fun way to learn numbers and letters. Download ABC songs from Hoopla on the Library’s website, and play them on your phone.
- Sometimes your toddler doesn’t want to stop what he’s doing to transition to the next activity. Try singing a song about what you will do next.
- Don’t worry about finishing a book in one sitting. Your child can decide how long (or short) a reading lasts! The important thing is for you both to enjoy it.
- Tonight, tell a bedtime story about the good things your child did today, or make up an adventure with your child as the star!
- Let your toddler hold the book you share and let him turn the pages. You might have to read the pages out of order sometimes - that's ok!
- Find safe ways to involve your toddler when you cook, clean or do chores. Ordinary household tasks can be fascinating to children, and they like to feel helpful.
- When you are teaching your child a new word, try to use it multiple times throughout the day. Repetition in different situations helps young children learn.
- When your toddler draws a picture, ask him to explain it to you, and write down what he says. Then read aloud what he “wrote.”
- Some children start school knowing far fewer words than others. Make conversation a priority with your toddler. Talk, listen, ask questions, wait for answers.
- Taking your toddler to the dentist for the first time? Read Library books that introduce new experiences in advance, so your child knows what to expect.
- You can use shaving cream like finger paint on a tabletop. Let your toddler draw and play, then clean up is a breeze!
- Toddlers tend to be more cooperative when they have a predictable schedule each day. Make sure that reading together is part of your daily routine.
- You can make conversation with your toddler last longer by asking follow-up questions such as “Why is that?” or “What do you think about that?”.
- Teach your toddler nursery rhymes. Then, when reciting a familiar one, pause to let her fill in the rhyming words.
- Make Bath Time Math Time! Teach your toddler the words FULL, EMPTY, MORE, and LESS by using different sized cups and containers in the tub.
- Play music for your toddler and dance together with scarves or ribbons. Moving to the rhythm of music builds phonological awareness.
- Take turns! All kinds of back-and-forth interactions between you and your toddler are an important way to build communication skills.
- Vocabulary builder: Describe objects and ask your toddler to guess what they are: “It's in the garage and we use it to get to Grandpa’s house. What is it?”
- Talk about the number 4 today. Ask your child to find 4 leaves, count the tires on a car, and find other opportunities to count to 4.
- If there's a ball in the picture book you're reading, let your toddler find and hold a real ball (or truck, or teddy bear, etc.) while you read.
- When your toddler says a two-word sentence, respond by adding a few more words to it. This helps your child build his vocabulary and communication skills.
- Toddlers are natural sorters. Ask your child to sort socks by color or silverware by shape. They can help and learn at the same time!
- Encourage your child to draw and "write" by giving easy access to crayons, washable markers, chalk and paper. Even scrap paper works fine.
- Toddlers can listen longer and follow a story better than babies. They focus on the pictures and are learning how to turn the pages.
- Watch a Children’s Librarian at storytime. See how they use voice, gesture, and facial expressions to bring a book to life? You can do this too!
- Talk about what you’re doing as you do it. Research has shown that this “self talk” helps your child learn new vocabulary.
- Stacking blocks or stringing beads helps your child develop hand-eye coordination that is valuable for later writing.
- Pretend encourages language. Join your toddler’s play! Show him how to "feed" a stuffed animal, pretend to be a kitty cat, or pretend to talk on the phone.
- For toddlers, every book can be game: Ask your child to find items on each page. "Where's the bird?" “Put your finger on the yellow flower."
- Use funny voices and make sound effects when you read aloud to your child. It’s not only entertaining - it raises his awareness of the sounds in words.
- Your toddler loves nursery rhymes - especially when she can do motions along with them. Actions bring the words to life!
- Brains grow fast during the first 3 years of life. Whenever you spend time singing, talking, playing and reading with your toddler, his brain is developing.