Category: Read to

Start telling a story with your child: “Once upon a time there was a beautiful person who lived in a castle.” Ask them, “What do you think this person did today?” They might say, “She played!” You continue, “What did she play with?” Keep the story going based on their responses.

When feeding your child, use that time to tell them a story. You can make one up or share something that happened when you were a child. When they respond to your voice and make a sound, repeat the same sound back to them.

Going shopping? Make a shopping list and create a story together about the items on the list to remember them: “Once there was a dragon who … loved to eat carrots and slept on a can of soup.” At the store, encourage your child to retell the story and hunt for each item, checking it… Continue reading Shopping List Story

Play a word game with your child. Choose a word like “stop.” Ask them, “What happens if you take the ‘s’ away? It’s top.” Then add an “s” at the end—it’s tops. What other words can be switched around like this? Talk together about the different words, real and made-up. Have fun and take turns.

Look for something you see that could start a story. It could be a picture or an object. Begin with “Once upon a time, there was a … .” Encourage your child to continue the story. Take turns adding to it. It doesn’t matter if the story makes sense, as long as you’re having fun!

Your child learns best from what you say and do, so read everything you can out loud. Read signs outside, recipes, or ads in a paper or magazine. Be sure to point at what you’re reading too. Do they imitate any of your words or sounds? Do they point, too? Go back and forth with… Continue reading Read Everything Out Loud

Use hand actions for your favorite rhyme or song, or make up your own. Face your child and hold their hands so they mirror you. Vary your tone of voice from high to low and use a big, expressive way of speaking or singing.

Waiting in line at the store is a great chance to be a brain builder. Point to a picture on a magazine and ask your child, “How do you think that man feels?” You can also look for different letters like, “Look, here’s a B just like in your name. It says ‘baseball’ on the… Continue reading Shopping Line Game

Share a picture in a book, magazine, or news article with your child. Be sure to point at what you’re looking at and chat about it. For example, “Look at the blue shirt the lady is wearing—I have one too!” Or, “This is a picture of diapers, like the ones you wear.” Let them pick the next… Continue reading Picture Conversations

Fill in the blanks to make up a story: “We’re going to ___. When we get there we’ll see ___.” As your child gets in the rhythm, take turns going back and forth. Is your story realistic? Make believe? There is no right or wrong, just have fun!