Parents
of young children typically have a lot going on—work responsibilities,
food preparation, home maintenance and basic child care like feeding,
bathing, and diapering take up most days. There are other activities
like reading, talking, singing and playing that are critical to the
brain development of babies and young children, but these don’t always
make it into hectic daily schedules.
While
parents and caregivers may be stretched in the time they have
available, there are many ways that daily activities can include
teaching and talking. Sesame Street recommends that parents make every
day a talking day by enjoying “conversations” with babies and toddlers
(even if it’s just coos and babbling), reading them books, and singing
simple songs. And PBS Parents offers great ways to use everyday
routines—like taking the bus or shopping for food—to help your child
learn new words. By integrating reading, talking and playing into
regularly scheduled activities, parents and caregivers can help babies
and young children develop critical vocabulary skills and improve their
learning.
Some
families are resolving to use this new year to make room in their busy
lives for positive habits that will expose their children to more
language and instill a love of learning. In a charming
blog post,
Laura Mayes of Austin, TX writes about her resolution to spend more
time this year with her son while reading to young children in their
local community. And Hong Van Pham, a young researcher living in the Bay
Area, CA,
resolved this holiday
season to share what she’s learned about early childhood development
with her family and two toddler cousins. Their stories are in the links
below.
Learn More:
- PBS Parents offers tips on how to incorporate reading and new words into daily activities like riding in the car, shopping at the mall and mealtimes.
- Sesame Street shares good ideas on how to include reading, talking and singing while giving basic care to babies and young toddlers.
- Why reading aloud for just 15 minutes a day can make a difference, from ReadAloud.org.
Family Stories:
Video
Parents and caregivers play an important role in helping their babies learn.
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