• Talk and sing with your child, as this is a first step in language development.
• Understand that singing and listening to music is good for your child’s development.
• Provide a safe place for your baby or toddler to roll, crawl and explore. If possible, “child-proof” the entire home.
• Sit and play on the floor with your child daily. Children learn through play with simple toys and household items like pans, bowls, cups and wooden spoons.
• Daily supervised outdoor play, including running, climbing, swinging and sliding helps children develop strong bodies and minds.
• Realize that playing “pretend” with your child helps her learn to use her imagination and understand her world.
• Read to your young child daily, watching for her cues to continue or quit.
• Look at books and talk about the pictures and story— this teaches language and new words.
• Try different voices for the characters in a book and encourage your child to act out the story.
• Play rhyming games, recite nursery rhymes and do finger plays to help your child notice the sounds of words.
• Help your child notice words in the world around you.
• Sharing a favorite book with a caring adult can provide comfort to a child and a love of reading.
• Limit TV watching. When he does watch, sit with him and talk about what you see. Remember, young children should not watch the news or adult programs.
• Get a free library card so you can visit the library often and check out a variety of books.
