Research shows that providing children from birth to five with consistent, language-rich experiences—such as talking, reading, and singing—can have significant benefits on their brain development and future school success.
The resource, It’s Never Too Early to Help Your Child Learn–Talk, Read, and Sing Together Every Day! The U.S. Department of Education provides information on young children’s developmental milestones and how you can support your child’s language development. The resource is available in English and Spanish. There are also research-based tips for talking, reading, and singing with young children every day, beginning from birth, available in English and Spanish.
Using fingerplays and songs in early childhood is an effective way to help young children develop language skills, improve large and small motor skills, and enhance memory and social skills. Fingerplays are very brief stories—often with rhymes—that use finger movements to help tell the story. Fingerplays introduce rhyming to young children. They provide fun opportunities to listen and speak. They also encourage children to match words with physical actions. You may recall finger plays like “The Itsy-Bitsy Spider” or “Wheels on the Bus.”
This video shares some common fingerplays you can do with your child.