For Kids
Babies and Early Literacy
“Children are made readers on the laps of their parents.”
— Emilie Buchwald
What your infant can do:
- Babble, coo and squeal
- Follow your movements and the sound of your voice
- Experiment with his senses - touch, grasp, taste, chew
- Stare at nearby objects
What you can do:
- Prop board books next to your baby
- Point to and name familiar objects in board books; e.g. baby faces
- Use books with sharp contrast or bright colors and textures
- Talk about what you are doing to encourage babbles, cooing and squeals
- Rock your baby while singing or sharing nursery rhymes
What your older baby can do:
- Grab for and grasp objects
- Follow simple directions and play simple games
- Imitate your speech and sounds by listening to you talk
What you can do:
- Cuddle your child
- Let them turn the pages and use books with movable parts
- Play "peek-a-boo" and "pat-a-cake" and other musical games with hand movements
- Teach new words by pointing to objects, naming them and talking about them
- Ask questions as you read simple stories over and over again
Resources for choosing great books:
Reading together and reading aloud is fun and important for young children. Hearing books read aloud gives young children a good start in building vocabulary, learning about their world and loving books.Books Make The Best Beginnings (PDF)
Libros Hacen el Mejor Empiezo (PDF)
Read Together Read Aloud (PDF)
Lean Juntos, Lean en Voz Alta (PDF)