Story time · Early LiteracyA book word, used again
You're reading a picture book, and a word comes up that your child doesn't know, like "exhausted".
Try
Say what the word means in a few words, then use it about something real in the room.
“Exhausted. That means so tired you can hardly move.”
“Who's exhausted in this house?”
How to do it
- Stop at one new word and say what it means in a few words.
- Use it again about something or someone real.
- Read the page again, and let them say the word with you.
Conversation guide
- Parent
- 'The owl was exhausted. Exhausted. That means so tired you can hardly move.'
- Child
- 'Sleepy owl.'
- Parent
- 'Who's exhausted in this house?'
- Child
- 'Daddy! He was yawning.'
- Parent
- 'Daddy is exhausted. Let's read it again.'
- Child
- 'The owl was… exhausted!'
Why this matters
Your child learns new words, which later help with reading. Using a book word in real life helps it stick.
What not to do
- Avoid stopping at every hard word; one per book is plenty.
Helping out · Early LiteracyYou read that one!
You're putting the groceries away, and your child grabs a yogurt they know.
Try
Let them "read" the label, then point to the word and its first letter.
“What does this one say?”
“You read that! It says yogurt.”
“This letter starts yogurt: y-y-yogurt.”
How to do it
- Ask what the container or box says.
- Point to the word and read it with them.
- Show the first letter and say its sound.
Conversation guide
- Parent
- 'What does this one say?'
- Child
- [holds up the yogurt] 'Yogurt!'
- Parent
- 'You read that! It says yogurt.' [finger under the word]
- Child
- 'Yogurt.'
- Parent
- [points to the first letter] 'This letter starts yogurt: y-y-yogurt.'
- Child
- 'Y-y-yogurt!'
- Parent
- 'Y-y-yogurt. And y-y-yellow starts the same way!'
Why this matters
Your child sees that letters, not the picture, make a word. A label they know becomes their first read.
What not to do
- Avoid quizzing them on the other letters; the first one is plenty.
Getting changed · Doing It MyselfDressed in order
Your child is getting dressed for the day.
Try
Lay their clothes on the floor in the order they go on, and let them dress from the line, pointing to what's next only if they stop.
“Here's your line: underwear, pants, shirt, socks.”
“What's next?”
“You got dressed, start to finish.”
How to do it
- Lay the clothes out in a line, in the order they go on.
- Let them work along the line, and keep your hands back.
- If they stop, point to the next thing instead of doing it.
Conversation guide
- Parent
- 'Here's your line: underwear, pants, shirt, socks.'
- Child
- 'Underwear first!'
- Parent
- [waits]
- Child
- 'Now pants. I'm doing it.'
- Child
- [stops to play with a sock]
- Parent
- [points to the shirt] 'What's next?'
- Child
- 'Shirt! Then socks. I did it all!'
- Parent
- 'You got dressed, start to finish.'
Why this matters
Your child learns to get dressed on their own, in order. The line of clothes shows them what's next.
What not to do
- Avoid taking over to speed things up.
Bedtime · Doing It MyselfYou brush, then I finish
It's time to brush teeth before bed.
Try
Before they brush, have them find their back teeth with their tongue and put the brush there. Then you finish.
“Find your back teeth with your tongue.”
“Put the brush right there. Scrub, scrub!”
“You found the back ones! My turn to finish. Open wide.”
How to do it
- Ask them to touch their back teeth with their tongue, then brush that spot.
- Let them brush the rest their own way.
- Say "My turn," and finish every tooth.
Conversation guide
- Parent
- 'Find your back teeth with your tongue.'
- Child
- [pokes their tongue around] 'Found them!'
- Parent
- 'Put the brush right there. Scrub, scrub!'
- Child
- [brushes the back] 'Scrub, scrub!'
- Parent
- 'You found the back ones! My turn to finish. Open wide.'
- Child
- [opens wide] 'Ahhh!'
Why this matters
Your child learns to brush their own teeth. Finding the back teeth with their tongue shows them where to aim.
What not to do
- Avoid skipping your turn because they say they're done.
Bath time · Exploring & DiscoveringThat's surprising! Why?
In the bath, your child pushes a cup under the water upside down, tips it, and big bubbles burst out.
Try
Say it's surprising, ask what they think made it happen, and listen to their idea before you add yours.
“Whoa, big bubbles! Why do you think that happened?”
“Hmm, maybe! Let's try it again, slowly.”
“I think the cup was full of air, and the air came out as bubbles.”
How to do it
- Notice the surprise out loud.
- Ask what they think made it happen, and listen to the whole answer.
- Try it again together, then add your own idea.
Conversation guide
- Child
- [tips the cup under the water] 'Whoa! Bubbles came out!'
- Parent
- 'Whoa, big bubbles! Why do you think that happened?'
- Child
- 'Because there's a fish in it.'
- Parent
- 'Hmm, maybe! Let's try it again, slowly.'
- Child
- [pushes it down and tips it] 'Blub, blub! No fish!'
- Parent
- 'I think the cup was full of air, and the air came out as bubbles.'
- Child
- 'Air bubbles! Again!'
Why this matters
Your child practices figuring out why things happen. Asking for their idea before you explain gets them thinking it through.
What not to do
- Avoid jumping in with the answer.
Waking up · Feelings & ComfortFeeling, because…
Your child wakes up grumpy and says, "I'm mad!"
Try
Ask what made them feel that way, let them give the reason, then say the feeling and the reason back together.
“You're mad. What made you feel mad?”
“You're mad because your blanket fell off, and you got cold.”
“Let's warm you up.”
How to do it
- Say the feeling back.
- Ask what made them feel that way, and wait for their reason.
- Say the feeling and the reason back together.
Conversation guide
- Child
- 'I'm mad!'
- Parent
- 'You're mad. What made you feel mad?'
- Child
- 'My blanket falled off and I was cold.'
- Parent
- 'You're mad because your blanket fell off, and you got cold.'
- Child
- 'Yeah. And Teddy fell too.'
- Parent
- 'Let's find Teddy and warm you up.'
Why this matters
Your child learns to say why they feel a certain way. Hearing feeling and reason together gives them the words.
What not to do
- Avoid telling them it's too small a thing to be mad about.
Mealtimes · Speaking ClearlyOne at a time at the table
At dinner, everyone is trying to talk at once.
Try
Pick a talking spoon: whoever holds it talks, and nobody takes it until they're done.
“Here's the talking spoon. Whoever holds it gets to talk.”
“You have the spoon. We're listening.”
“Done? Pass it to Daddy.”
How to do it
- Hand your child a spare spoon, and say whoever holds it talks.
- Look at them and wait, even when they get stuck on a word.
- When they're done, let them pass the spoon on.
Conversation guide
- Child
- 'And then, and then the—'
- Daddy
- 'Did you see the—'
- Parent
- [hands your child a spoon] 'Here's the talking spoon. Whoever holds it gets to talk.'
- Child
- [holds it up] 'And then the bus was… the bus was really long!'
- Parent
- 'A really long bus! Done? Pass it to Daddy.'
- Child
- [gives Daddy the spoon]
- Daddy
- 'I saw a long bus too!'
Why this matters
Your child practices getting a whole idea out. Holding the spoon keeps their turn safe, so they don't rush.
What not to do
- Avoid hurrying them with "Quick, tell us!"; it makes words harder to get out.
Floor play · Early LiteracyYour words, my pen
Your child has just finished a drawing.
Try
Ask what's happening in it, write their exact words underneath, and read them back.
“Tell me about your picture.”
“I'll write that down.”
“It says: This is me and Grandma at the beach.”
How to do it
- Ask about the picture, and wait.
- Write their exact words, saying each one as you write it.
- Read it back with your finger under each word.
Conversation guide
- Parent
- 'Tell me about your picture.'
- Child
- 'This is me and Grandma at the beach.'
- Parent
- 'I'll write that down.' [writes, saying each word]
- Child
- [watches the pen]
- Parent
- [finger under each word] 'It says: This is me and Grandma at the beach.'
- Child
- 'Read it again!'
Why this matters
Your child learns that spoken words can be written down and read again, starting with their own.
What not to do
- Avoid tidying up what they said; write it exactly.
Going out · Logic & NumbersSix ducks! Say it, then count it
You spot a group of things while you're out, like ducks on a pond or bikes in a rack.
Try
Say how many there are first, then count them together, pointing to each one.
“Look, six ducks!”
“Let's count. One, two, three, four, five, six.”
“Six ducks.”
How to do it
- Say the number first.
- Count them together, pointing to each one.
- Say the number again at the end.
Conversation guide
- Parent
- 'Look, six ducks!'
- Child
- 'Ducks! They're swimming.'
- Parent
- 'Let's count. One, two, three, four, five, six.' [points to each]
- Child
- 'Six ducks! And that one's the biggest.'
- Parent
- 'Six ducks, and one big one.'
Why this matters
Your child learns the last number counted tells how many. Saying the total first shows where it comes from.
What not to do
- Avoid starting with "How many?"; say the number first.
Toilet time · Doing It MyselfThe whole toilet trip
Your child says they need to use the toilet.
Try
Stand back and let them do each step themselves, checking the wiping and naming only the next step if they stop.
“You do it. I'm right here.”
“Let me check. All clean. What's next?”
“Flush, then wash your hands.”
How to do it
- Stand back, and let them do pants down, sit and wipe.
- Check the wiping, and finish it if needed.
- If they stop, name the next step instead of doing it.
Conversation guide
- Child
- 'I need to go!'
- Parent
- 'You do it. I'm right here.'
- Child
- [pulls pants down, sits] 'I'm doing a pee.'
- Child
- [wipes] 'Done!'
- Parent
- 'Let me check. All clean. What's next?'
- Child
- 'Pants up! Flush!'
- Parent
- 'And then?'
- Child
- 'Wash my hands!'
Why this matters
Your child learns to use the toilet on their own. Naming only the next step lets them do the rest.
What not to do
- Avoid wiping for them before they've tried.
Drop off · Talking & UnderstandingWhere were we? And then?
On the way to drop-off, you bring up something you did together a few days ago.
Try
Ask where, who and what, then nudge with short prompts so your child tells most of the story.
“Remember Saturday? Where did we go?”
“Who was there?”
“Mm-hm… and then what happened?”
How to do it
- Pick something you did together a few days ago.
- Ask where, who and what, one question at a time.
- Keep your part short: "Mm-hm… and then?"
Conversation guide
- Parent
- 'Remember Saturday? Where did we go?'
- Child
- 'At Grandma's house.'
- Parent
- 'Who was there?'
- Child
- 'Aunt Rose and the cousins. And a big cake.'
- Parent
- 'Mm-hm… and then what happened?'
- Child
- 'We blowed the candles and everybody singed!'
- Parent
- 'And then?'
- Child
- 'I got the piece with the flower.'
Why this matters
Your child learns to tell you about something from days ago. Short questions leave the telling to them.
What not to do
- Avoid telling the story for them, or correcting what they remember.
