Talk, Read, and Sing Together Every Day! (handout)
Download the caregiver handout to learn more about your baby by watching for developmental milestones. Smiling, cooing, and babbling are just a few. Your baby will show you many more milestones in how he plays, learns, speaks, acts, and moves! Look for your child’s milestones regularly and share his progress with the doctor at every well-child visit. It’s never too early to start talking, reading, and singing with your baby. Talking back and forth with your baby by responding to her smiles, coos, and babbling helps your baby learn language. Learning language helps your baby learn lots of other important skills. If you are ever worried about your child’s development, don’t wait! Acting early can make a big difference. Remember, you know your child best. Talk with your child’s doctor if you have concerns. Get tips to help you prepare at cdc.gov/Concerned.
Sing Into Reading (handout)
What Are The Six Early Reading Skills? 1. Vocabulary- Knowing the names of things 2. Print Motivation- Being interested in and enjoying books 3. Print Awareness- Noticing print, how to handle a book, how to follow words on a page 4. Letter Knowledge- Knowing letters are different from each other, knowing their names and sounds 5. Narrative Skills- Being able to describe things and events and tell stories 6. Phonological Awareness- Being able to hear and play with the smaller sounds in words How Does Singing Help Teach Children These Skills? Our brains are uniquely wired to respond to music, from before the time we are born. Because singing is interactive, it involves even the youngest children in language. Children learn language through repetition, and as songs are repeated the rhythm of the words is internalized. Singing brings a natural awareness of words, as each syllable or sound in a word gets a different note. Nursery rhymes and finger plays present a wide vocabulary, and teach sentence structure, story concepts and comprehension. The only things we remember word-for-word from our childhoods, are childhood songs and some rhymes! Children learn oral language before written language, and the more experience they have with oral language, the better prepared they will be for interpreting written words. Active participation in music (singing) increases retention, builds memory, and actually helps grow the brain in young children! Because children naturally love to sing, there is no “teaching,” just doing!
Learn To Play With Friends (handout)
Learning To Play With Others Teaches Children: 1. How to take turns and share 2. How to help and comfort others 3. How to recognize the needs of others and understand their emotions 4. How to interact in a group situation These skills help children be successful at school where they will need to get along with others and work in a group setting Remember, you are your child’s first and most important teacher! The skills you help them learn now can have a BIG impact later! |
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