Play, Talk & Read With Your Child
Your baby is born ready to learn. The first three years of life are the most important for brain development. When you talk, read and sing to your child, you’re helping to build a healthy brain. Through play, your child learns how things work, how to solve problems and how to get along with others.
How can you turn everyday moments into learning opportunities?
- When your baby is in the bath, talk about how the water feels.
- When you toddler is getting dressed, talk about the clothes he’s putting on and the parts of his body.
- When you’re at the grocery store, talk about the different kinds of fruit you see and the colors on the cereal boxes.
- When you get in the car, sing along to nursery rhymes and children’s music.
Download the 2010 Calendar for Literacy and Early Learning.
There are many online resources with suggestions of simple, fun things you can do to help your child learn to talk and read. These are just a few:
Play Grow Read! campaign at the Kent District Library
Programs
There are many opportunities to get together with other parents and children to share stories, songs and play. Most libraries in Kent County regularly offer free story times and playgroups for babies, toddlers and preschoolers.
To learn more and for a schedule of activities, go to:
Bright Beginnings, a partnership of the Kent ISD and its constituent districts, offers a number services to families with children birth to kindergarten entry. Bright Beginnings playgroups are provided free of cost throughout Kent County. For more information and a complete schedule, go to Bright Beginnings.
Books to Read with Your Child
Newborn – 3 months
American Babies / The Global Fund for Children
What Does Baby See? / Elliot Kreloff
Beddy-Bye, Baby / Karen Katz
Tickle, Tickle / Helen Oxenbury
Baby Faces / Margaret Miller
3 – 6 months
Baby Nose to Baby Toes / Vicky Ceelen
This Little Piggy / Annie Kubler
Bunny Eats Lunch / Michael Dahl
Where is Baby’s Belly Button? / Karen Katz
Hooray for Fish! / Lucy Cousins
6 – 10 months
You and Me, Baby / Lynn Reiser
Baby at the Farm: A Touch and Feel Book / Karen Katz
Snuggle Puppy: A Little Love Song / Sandra Boynton
Big Board First 100 Words / Roger Priddy
Head, Shoulders, Knees, Toes / Annie Kubler
10 – 12 months
Baby Animals on the Farm / Kingfisher
Baby, I Love You / Karma Wilson
Green Hat, Blue Hat / Sandra Boynton
Cookie’s Week / Cindy Ward and Tomie DePaola
I Love You Through and Through / Bernadette Rossetti-Shustak and Caroline Jay Church
1 year
Who’s at Home?: A Lift-the-Flap Book / Nancy Davis
Uh-Oh! / Rachel Isadora
Trucks Go / Steve Light
Where’s my Sweetie Pie? / Ed Emberley
Little Critter’s Where’s My Kitty? / Mercer Mayer
Fifteen Animals / Sandra Boynton
2 years
I Can Do It Too! / Karen Baicker
Happy Birthday, Little Pookie / Sandra Boynton
What Color Is Your Apple? / Begin Smart
Sitting in my Box / Deb Lillegard
Jump! / Scott Fischer
Bear in Underwear / Todd Doodler
3 years
The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog / Mo Willems
I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More! / Karen Beaumont
Lola at the Library / Anna McQuinn
Pete the Cat: I Love my White Shoes / Eric Litwin
Go Away, Big Green Monster! / Ed Emberley
I’m the Best / Lucy Cousins
4 years
Rhyming Dust Bunnies / Jan Thomas
26 Letters and 99 Cents / Tana Hoban
There Was an Old Monster / Ed Emberley
A Fish out of Water / Helen Palmer
Super Hungry Dinosaur / Chris Waddell
5 years
The Handiest Things in the World / Andrew Clements
Sky-High Guy / Nina Crews
Monkey with a Toolbelt and the Noisy Problem / Chris Monroe
Farmer Joe and the Music Show / Tony Mitton
Lion’s Lunch / Fiona Tierney
This reading list is provided by the Grand Rapids Public Library and Kent District Library.