talking
Talking with your child helps build language and vocabulary skills.
Game: Puppet Show
Related to: Telling a Story, Talk
Ask your child to tell you a story using puppets...
Game: What Goes Together
Related to: Knowing Letters, Talk
Engage your child in sorting and folding...
talking Tips
- Show your child that print is useful and that reading is important to you by talking to them about what you are reading: the newspaper, a book, a menu, a letter or an email.
- Encourage your child to tell you about his day, or something that happened like a birthday party or special trip. Ask questions like “What happened first? What happened next? What did it look like? What did you like best?”.
- The more you talk with your child, the richer your child’s vocabulary will be. Talk about and explain what you’re doing and what’s going on around you. Point at and name items as you see them. Whether you’re bathing your child or taking a walk, use words that describe the actions and the things around you. Talk about all the senses involved.
Six skills that get your child ready for reading
Liking Books
Children who enjoy books will want to learn to read.
Hearing words
Hearing the smaller sounds in words helps children sound out written words.
Knowing words
Knowing many words helps children recognize written words and understand what they read.
Telling a story
Learning to tell a story helps children develop skills in thinking and understanding.
Seeing words
Familiarity with printed language helps children feel comfortable with books and reading.
Knowing letters
Knowing the names and sounds of letters helps children sound out words.
Dial-a-Story
Call 416-395-5400 anytime and listen to stories in 16 different languages.
Raising Confident Kids
A series of workshops for parents and caregivers.
Storytime at Home
Fun virtual storytimes filled with great books, rhymes and songs. Watch anytime on YouTube and sing along!