Did you know that running, climbing and swinging can help build your child’s communication skills? Discover what new research says about the link between physical activity and language development and how you can support your child’s communication while playing outdoors.

Discover how to encourage fun conversations that help children build their understanding of a story with Thelma the Unicorn! This month’s Book Nook explores how making predictions helps children connect clues from words and pictures with what they already know, leading to a deeper understanding of what happens in the story.

When story time becomes play time, learning deepens!
In this month’s Book Nook, George Shrinks by William Joyce inspires children to imagine what it’s like to be small in a big world. Acting out parts of the story helps them build vocabulary, explore feelings, and understand story structure in a fun, meaningful way.

Discover how pretending with George Shrinks can boost comprehension and creativity

Did you know that pretend play helps to build early literacy? Studies have shown that children who act out the stories they've heard remember more events from the story, learn new words, and can retell the story better. Here are six tips for using pretend play to boost your child’s early literacy.

In order to learn from their peers, children with delayed language skills need to interact regularly with children with stronger language skills. But is this interaction happening in preschool classrooms? Find out what the research says, and what educators can do to promote the kind of peer interactions that benefit children most.

We asked professionals who work in early childhood settings what common challenges they face when encouraging children to interact. Here are the top concerns they expressed, along with some thoughts from our Director of Early Childhood Education, Helen Livshits.

When 3-5 year olds engage in peer play, they practice essential skills that help prepare them for school success. But when a child is consistently left out of interactions, they miss out on these important learning opportunities. Here are some practical tips to maximize peer play opportunities for all children in your classroom, but especially for those who need the most support.

When you encourage your child to play with a variety of things in a variety of ways, you create new experiences that give your child new opportunities to hear language and learn new things. Here are some more ideas for encouraging language and learning while having fun together!