MONTH SUNDAY Ask your to talk about his/her favorite part of the day. Read about a place your child has been before. Talk about the similarities and differences in the text. Talk often to your child. The more words a child hears, the more successful they will be with reading later. Encourage your child to draw a picture. Ask him/her to tell you about the picture. Write down the description. Play a rhyming game. Say a word and ask your child to say a word that rhymes, or sounds like the word. Ask your child to tell you a story. Visit the library! Encourage your child to ask a librarian about a book he/she would like to read. Point out familiar signs around town. Ask your child to tell you what they say. At lunchtime, ask your to tell you the steps for making a sandwich. Before you read a story together, talk about what you think it will be about. Try a few tongue twisters together. Playing with sounds helps a child develop language skills. Talk about new words as you read a new story together. Allow your child to talk to a friend or family member on the phone. Visit the library! Talk about the different types of books in the library and how they are organized. Talk about the weather. Ask your child to describe what it looks and feels like outside. Give your child a direction to follow as he/she gets ready for bed. step
Early Literacy Practice: Talking The activities this month will give you the opportunity to model language and conversation skills for your child. Studies show the more language that a child hears at home, the better chance they have of becoming a successful reader. Language and literacy are connected. Readiness Domain Focus: Social and Emotional Development, Language and Communication Development MONTH SUNDAY Sing familiar songs that play with sounds, such as “I Like to Eat Apples and Bananas.” Visit the library! Check out some music to play at home or in the car with your child. Encourage your child to make up their own songs. Sing the day’s schedule to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. Sing the alphabet song together, and then encourage your to sing it alone. Clap out the syllables as you sing a sing together. Purchase an inexpensive echo microphone. Encourage your child to put on a concert for you. Encourage your child to make up his/her own words to a familiar tune. the library! Check out a book that is a song you can sing together. Make a drum together an oatmeal container. Clap a rhythm and encourage your child to repeat what he/she hears.
Sing a song with letters, such as Sing a song that tells a story, such as Mary had a Little Lamb. Sing songs together in the car. Sing a song that encourages your child to echo or repeat you. Ask your child to pick out a song to sing together each morning. Early Literacy Practice: Singing The activities this will help you foster language skills through slowing down the sounds in language. Singing and music also helps children to understand rhythm, which helps with developing skills necessary for reading. Readiness Domain Focus: Approaches to Learning; Language and Communication; Social and Emotional Development READING MONTH SUNDAY Create a cozy area with for your child to sit and read with you. Visit the library! Check out a few rhyming books to read together. Let your child see you reading. Talk about why you enjoy reading. When you read to your child, ask questions about what might happen in the story.
MONTH SUNDAY Make many different types of writing tools available for your child to use for drawing and writing. Write letters on writing paper with a highlighter. Encourage your child to trace over the letters with a pencil. Ask your child to help you make a grocery list by drawing pictures of some of the items. Play restaurant. Encourage your child to take your order and write it down, or draw it. Write a letter together with your child and mail it to a family member. Allow your child to play in shaving cream on a table. Encourage them to write their name in the cream. the library! Look up books together using the catalog. Write down the call numbers together. Ask your child to draw/write a recipe card for making a sandwich. Help your child work on making shapes with a pencil by doing connect the dot puzzles together. Use play dough together in order for your child to strengthen hand muscles for writing. Have a wipe-off board and markers available for your child to practice with. Ask your child to draw different shapes with different writing tools. Supply washable paint and brushes. Ask your child to paint a picture of you. Visit the library! Look for books about writing and drawing. Help your child practice writing letters with their finger in the air. Early Literacy Practice: Writing The activities this month will help your child develop hand strength and hand-eye needed for writing. The activities will also promote your child’s awareness of the connection between written words and language. Readiness Domain Focus: Cognitive/General Knowledge; Language and Communication; Health and Physical Well-Being
MONTH SUNDAY Allow your child to experiment with water, measuring cups, and bowls. Create a sensory tub with sand, beans, water, or rice. Encourage your child to scoop and pour. Visit the library! Play educational games with your child on a computer. Build a town together using blocks. Add trucks and cars and build a road. Act out your child’s favorite book together. Make puppets together with bags. Encourage your child to put on a puppet show for you. Play a simple board game. This helps children learn to follow directions and take turns. Set up a play date with another child. This helps your child develop social and turn-taking skills. Play “school” with your child. Take turns being the teacher. Visit the library! Look for CDs with interactive songs and games. Play grocery store. Encourage your child to write price tags and count money as you “buy” groceries.
Hang a shirt with buttons on a hanger within reach for your child. Encourage your child to button it. Visit the library! Check out books about kindergarten. Supply large beads and pipe cleaners. Encourage your child to string the beads with supervision. Play with play to help strengthen your child’s hand muscles. Encourage your child to hang up his/her own laundry on hangers. Play “Simon Says” focusing on physical movements. Go to the park and run with your child. Practice shoe tying with your child. Model how to tie shoes by reaching around your child. Visit the library! Check out CDs with music and movement activities. Early Literacy Practice: Self-Help and Motor Skills The activities this will help foster your child’s self-help skills. Activities that work on fine motor skills such as writing, cutting, stringing, and lacing, and large motor skills such as running and skipping, are also included. Readiness Domain Focus: Approaches to Learning; Social-Emotional Development; Health and Physical Well-Being