Spring is the perfect time to help your child’s literacy skills blossom and grow! Support your child’s literacy development with these simple tips. Set aside time each and every day to read to and with your child. This simple act has a big impact supporting your child’s reading comprehension and overall literacy development. Reading a good book can happen anywhere. Keep books, e-Books and reading and writing learning games all around the house and even in your car. Opportunities for reading present themselves all the time! Read road signs, menus, recipes and of course enjoy some good books. Allowing children to hear, read and follow along with stories over and over again develops and reinforces many important reading concepts such as letter and word awareness and recognition, beginning and ending sound knowledge, reading for meaning and enjoyment, reading from left to right, and much more.

In the midst of the holiday rush, finding the perfect present in the children’s toys aisle can be overwhelming and particularly challenging. Just remember that it is always important to include a few toys with enduring educational properties in your shopping cart. Let these tips guide your holiday toy selections!

How can I best support my child’s literacy development? This is a question many parents contemplate. Studies show that children need to be immersed in a print rich environment and involved in a variety of meaningful and enjoyable literacy experiences. Reading researchers and early childhood experts agree that these experiences are essential in supporting children’s early reading development. Adult support also plays an important role. Ensuring that children enjoy some type of daily literacy experience is something everyone can do. Here are a few early reading building blocks parents can put into action at home.

From an early age, play is an important component of a child’s development and learning. Great philosophers and scholars such as Plato, Aristotle and Locke placed significant value on play. Today’s educational experts continue to support the importance of developmentally appropriate play and developmentally appropriate toys for boys and girls. Choosing toys that appeal to our children and also support learning are important.