Talking to children about the sounds they hear in words builds their sound awareness, which is an important skill for learning to read. Use these fun tips to draw children’s attention to the sounds in words.

One simple way to prepare children for reading and writing is to help them notice the print that’s all around them. By pointing out print in the environment, you help children understand that written words communicate meaning – just like spoken words do. Try these fun ways to highlight print throughout the day.

Talking about how others think and feel helps children understand and appreciate different viewpoints, develop empathy, and relate to others. You can encourage children to think about how others might think by using these fun tips.

Young children generally find it easy to talk about what is happening in the here and now. However, they need help talking about the future because this requires a more abstract use of language. You can help children talk about the future, which includes making predictions, during everyday activities and conversations.

Children need to develop the ability to use language for thinking and learning. You can help by having discussions with them that include thought-provoking questions and explanations. Interactions like these encourage children to analyze, reflect and make connections. Here are some playful ways to get children involved in these more complex conversations.

Telling stories is a natural part of everyday conversations, and also helps children to understand written stories once they learn to read. At first, children may share events out of order or miss important details. You can help by retelling past events together, talking about stories in books, and making up new stories. Here are some ways to encourage storytelling.