There’s a reason why reading has always been one of
the most valuable early years activities! Not only does it benefit their language development, it helps you bond with them and gives your child a sense of intimacy and  calmness.

1.  Get some of your wee ones favourite books and cosy in together. Introducing concepts like rhyming,
matching and getting children excited
about reading time is central to developing
competent readers when they grow up.
2. That’s why it’s never too early to read to
the little ones. Don’t forget to keep eye
contact and use lots of exaggerated facial
expressions so that they can develop their
vocabulary and understand emotions from
your non-verbal cues. Most of all, enjoy this special time together.

This is a game all about encouraging your wee ones  to
speak and learn new concepts, by asking them to ’feel how’
certain things will have certain qualities.

What you can use:

• Toys or objects
• Material
• Whatever is around you!

What to do:

1. Try grabbing something close by  you and your wee one like a toy
bear and saying ’Feel how soft teddy’s
tummy is!’ You could make a wee box or basket with different textured objects to explore.
2. This is all about encouraging them to
explore words using their senses, and
talking directly to them will give them
confidence about their own speaking.
3. Try to keep it simple to start with and
don’t overload them with lots of different
examples until they’re ready. Keep returning
to the same idea to scaffold their
learning.