1.3 Help Your Baby Grow

You can help your child develop by playing with him. Here are some suggestions!

Birth to 3 months

• Respond to your baby's crying with a soothing voice and touch and try to meet his needs.
• Talk to her and look into her eyes.
• Listen to him and imitate the sounds he makes
• Play music boxes or hang chimes for her to listen to.
• Give him rattles and toys with different textures.
• Talk, sing and read to your baby every day.
• IMPORTANT - Carefully support her head and neck and protect her soft spot while playing.

3 to 6 months

• Play "Peek-a-Boo," "This Little Piggy" and other games.
• Give her a child-safe mirror. Call her by her name.
• Let him play on a blanket on the floor. Help him roll over or sit up for short periods of time.
• Tell you baby parts of his body while you bathe him.
• Talk, sing and read to your baby every day.

6 to 9 months

• Roll a ball to your baby. Help her roll it back to you.
• Wave and say "bye-bye" when you are leaving. Show your baby how to wave "bye-bye."
• Ask your baby to help you while you dress him. Say "Pull your arm through your shirt, push your foot through your pants."
• Look at your baby when she tries to "talk." Repeat her sounds.
• Sing, talk and read to your baby every day.

9 to 12 months

• Give your baby a bucket with toys or blocks. Help her dump them out and put them back in.
• Read and sing to your baby. Show her books with bright, simple pictures.
• Encourage your baby to pull up to stand and walk around furniture. Hold her hand and help her walk.
• Put "O" shaped cereal on her plate and encourage her to pick it up.
• Recite nursery rhymes,
• Sing, talk and read to your baby every day. 12 to 18 months
• Encourage your baby to tell you what she wants when she points at something: "You want the green ball?"
• Offer her finger foods or a spoon and help her feed herself.
• Name objects your child is using: "Let's put on your coat," "Yum, yum. Cheese for lunch."
• Teach your child manners by saying "Please" and "Thank you" when you talk to him.
• Ask your child to hand you objects: "May I have the ball, please?"
• Sing, talk and read to your baby every day.

18 to 24 months

• Give your toddler stiff board books to look at. Talk to him about the pictures and stories.
• Let your toddler experiment with walking on different surfaces like - sand, carpet, and grass.
• Name colors as you play: " Look at the yellow duck."
• Give your toddler a jumbo-sized crayon to hold and help him scribble on paper or a grocery bag.
• Sing, talk and read to your baby every day.

2 to 3 years

• Give your child toy cars, dolls, and blocks to play with.
• Let your child "help" in daily chores. She loves to mimic you.
• When your child says "Da Da car" fill in your reply with more words "Yes, Daddy is driving the blue car."
• Let your child spend some time outside running and climbing with adult supervision.
• Give your child crayons, colored pencils and paper to experiment with.
• Sing, read and talk with your child every day.

3 to 4 years

• Encourage your child to sing nursery rhymes with you.
• Help her count objects and say her alphabet.
• Give your child books to read and spend time reading with her.
• Find the letters of her name in books or magazines.
• Let your child play with friends his age and teach him to share and take turns.
• Let your child play outside, but never by herself.
• Take your child to the grocery store and make a game naming fruits and vegetables, and learning colors and shapes.
• Encourage your child to help with daily chores: " Please put your truck on the shelf." "Put your plate on the table, please."
• Read, sing and talk with your child every day.

"My child learns by watching me!"

4 to 5 years

• Show your child how to use children's scissors and let him practice cutting scraps of paper.
• Sing the alphabet song with your child.
• Listen actively to you child's stories and encourage her to use her imagination.
• Help your child build language skills by asking him questions: "What do you see?" "What would you like to eat?"
• Encourage you child to dress herself in the morning and get ready for bath time at night.
• Play outside with adult supervision.
• Sing, talk and read with your child every day.

5 to 6 years

• Practice throwing and catching different size balls.
• Give your child crayons, glue, and paper for creative self-expression.
• Take your child on a "field trip" to the library, hospital or airport. Talk about what you see.
• Help your child write and recognize his name.
• Point out different shapes and colors. Let him count different objects: "How many cars do you see?" "How many green cars do you see?"
• Read familiar signs and symbols on cereal boxes, in magazines, and fast food restaurants.
• Read, talk and sing with your child every day.

Read 1,000 stories to your child by the time he is 6 years old even if it's the same story over and over again! A suggested book list is in the back of this book to help you get started. Check your public library and bookstores for other book ideas for each age group.

I am a teacher - the most important one my child will ever have.

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