Development
Tips and Activities

Talk. Read. Sing. Draw. Play.

Talking with your child will help them become a stronger reader. Reading out loud with your child helps build their language skills. Singing with your child helps them with learning how to read. Drawing helps your child learn the skills they need to write letters and words. Playing helps children practice what they are learning from you and others.

START TALKING

Talk to them about the different foods they see when you’re at the grocery store.
- "Those apples are red."
Talk to them about the toys they are playing with during playtime.
- "That building block is big."
Speak with them frequently every day.

START READING

Ask a question about the story before you turn the page.
- "What do you think will happen next?"
Talk about the colors, shapes, and characters.
- "Look at the big yellow sun on the top of the page."
Be prepared to read a favorite book repeatedly.

START SINGING

Make up songs for bath time, mealtime, bedtime, or any time.
Read books that have songs in them to sing to your child.
Come up with sing-along songs that you can sing together while driving.

START DRAWING

Give your child a blank piece of paper and something to draw with.
Ask your child to draw you a picture of something familiar like your house or a family pet.
Make sure to hang their hard work on the fridge or somewhere they can see when they are done.

START PLAYING

Use your imagination and your child is sure to follow. Pretend play and tell a story about the fun adventure you’re going on.
Visit the First 5 California activities page to find playtime fun for all 0-5 ages.
Keep it fun by making sure play is something both you and your child enjoy.