Sometimes we forget that if a child doesn’t understand the words, she cannot understand the story. The very first step is for us to tell a child the words for what is happening. “Mama is feeding you oatmeal with brown sugar and milk for breakfast.” Sometimes we are so tired we don’t say the words and point and use words like “it” and “some” and “here” and “thing.” “Here it is, do you want some?” does not teach a child the words, “feeding, oatmeal, brown sugar, milk or breakf

We all THINK we know how to teach a child to read. We teach them the ABCs and phonics just like a teacher does. But teachers depend on parents to teach the hard stuff first. To read, first a child has to know a lot of words. Second, a child has to know that words are made up of separate sounds. This is hard to teach. The miracle is, if we read or look at books with a child even before he can understand the words, a child gets something very important about reading. He likes

For centuries scientists have been confused about learning to talk. It turns out that a child’s brain cells are learning language even before babies are anywhere near ready to talk. So it is important for us to talk to a baby from the minute the baby is born. I try to tell the baby what I am doing “I’m washing your toes.” Point at things in the room and name them. “I’m closing the curtains, so that the room will be dark and you can sleep.” Tell the baby what I like. “This is