Why It Matters

From birth to age five, a child's brain develops more rapidly than at any other time in life. Every shared moment, every song, word, gesture, and playful exchange helps wire the brain for learning, relationships, and emotional growth.
Sing. Say. Point. Play. encourages adults to turn everyday routines into rich learning opportunities and reminds us all that early learning starts with connection.

The Four Powerful Practices

These four simple things can help babies learn to talk and children learn to read.

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• Sing: Singing is a fun way to bond, express love, and help children learn about language. When you sing, children learn different sounds in words. Songs also teach new words and show how rhythm and rhyming work. Your children love the sound of your voice from before they are born. Sing nursery rhymes, silly made-up songs, or songs on the radio. Make singing a part of your everyday routines and watch your child's language grow. 

• Say: Children learn how to talk by hearing words. In fact, the more words children learn when they are young, the better language skills they will have later on. So even if your child is a e back-and-forth conversations are actually building your child's brain!  baby, talk a lot! Describe what you are doing, seeing, or thinking about in the language you know best. Tell and retell family stories or make up your own. Be sure to pause often so your child can join in. Wait for a response, then reply to those sounds and words.

• Point: Pointing is an important communication skill for children. When children point, they are letting you know what is important to them. When you point, you give your child clues about the meaning of your words. When you and your child pay attention to the same thing and talk about it, you are teaching language and making connections. Use this simple gesture and make a point to point! 

• Play: Young children learn by touching, smelling, dropping, stacking, pouring, looking, banging, and pretending. Exploring helps them begin to make sense of the world around them. Remember you are your child's most important playmate. Follow your child's lead and focus on things that interest him. Playing with you when you are tuned in is one of the best ways your child will learn! Set aside a little time each day to have fun and play with your child!