Storytelling

When a child has a favorite story book, they love to share it with others.  Encourage your child to tell or read you a story, even if they don't know how to read every word.

Numbers

We use numbers every day to count, measure, weigh, tell time, calculate, purchase, etc..  Children also use numbers every day, when they tell someone how old they are, use the phone, how many crackers or cookies they want to eat, how many toys or friends they want to play with, etc.  Encouraging the sense of numbers is very important in a child's development of math skills, not only in counting, recognizing and calculating numbers but also in writing numbers.  Encouraging children to write numbers helps children to retain what they have learned about numbers and also maintains the small motor skills they are developing in their hands.  Sidewalk chalk is fun to use to make a hopscotch on a sidewalk or to make a poster for a lemonade stand.  Dry erase markers used on white boards is a great source to practice with.  Look for ways for your children or grandchildren to use numbers daily.

Reading

Children naturally love to look at and read books.  Providing books for children is very important in their reading development.  Start with picture books and then progress to emergent reading books with simple sentences.  Model reading so your child will want to read also.  With a fast moving world we tend to not talk to our children enough.  A great way to talk to your children is to read to them.  Children love to be read to and hear your voice.  Take your children to the library and keep encouraging the love of books.  Reading opens up a whole new world of adventure and discovery!