Talk

• Everywhere you go, talk about what you see. A stop sign, a traffic light, or a tree might seem boring to you, but it’s a whole new world to your child, so teach them about it!
• Young children learn best during playful, everyday activities. Play “I-Spy” in the grocery store together. Choose a color and encourage your child to point out objects that match the color.
• Try some early math activities: point out shapes on your child’s plate or around the kitchen. Ask your child, “How many sides does a square have?” “How about a triangle?”
• Play games during bath time to help your child learn new words. Take turns dropping toys in the water. Say, “Watch it sink!” or “It floats!”

Read

• You can inspire a love of books and words in your young child by reading or telling a story together every day.
• Point to the pictures, letters, and numbers in books. Ask open-ended questions as you share the book together. “What do you see? How does he feel? What would you do if you were her? What’s your favorite page?”
• Let your child turn the book’s pages. It’s OK if they skip pages, or like a few pages better than others. You just want your child to get used to touching books.

Sing

• Sing during everyday activities like driving in the car, or during bath time. It can be repetitive and simple, like “Wash your toes, wash your nose!”
• Singing songs that have basic counting or rhyming patterns also helps children learn basic math skills. “One, two, buckle my shoe. Three, four, open the door.”
• Your toddler loves to get positive attention from you. Singing is a great way for you and your toddler to share an activity together.

[Source: Talking Is Teaching]