When you talk with your child, you are helping them learn about language. The more words children hear in conversation, the larger their vocabularies will be when they go to school. Hearing more words and phrases help children recognize new words when they see them for the first time in print.
Telling stories to children helps them develop listening skills. Letting children talk helps them learn to express themselves. Pointing out words in the world around you – on signs, buildings, labels, etc. – helps children recognize that words have meaning. In this way, they begin to connect words with ideas.
Talking Activities
- Ask your child lots of open ended questions and wait for them to answer. It may take a minute - so be patient!
- Make a funny face in the mirror and have your child copy the expression. Talk about what kind of face they see – grumpy, silly, mad, or surprised!
- Use big words. The more descriptive words a child hears, the greater their vocabulary will be.
- Pick out letters on food packages in the store and practice making the letter sounds.
- Make up a story to go with a wordless book
- Ask questions while you read your child a story. Why did he do that? What do you think will happen next? Can you find and put your finger on the turtle?
DOWNLOAD the Simple Steps Activity Sheets and read, write, sing, play, and talk in your own home.
Other Languages
The Simple Steps program is made possible through a generous grant from:
Great Books for Talking
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Amara's Farm
A young girl searches for pumpkins on her farm in this joyful celebration of cool-weather fruits and vegetables, from the new Where in the Garden? series.
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Hello The Sea
Say 'hello' to the sea creatures in this beautifully-designed baby book. The high-contrast images are designed for babies' eyesight.
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The Very Hungry Caterpillar Eats Breakfast
Join The Very Hungry Caterpillar for one of his favorite meals of the day: breakfast!
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Where Thuong Keeps Love
Inspired by the subtle yet unique differences in the notion of love between American and Vietnamese cultures, Where Thuong Keeps Love is a beautiful exploration of the nonverbal ways love is held and stored in every part of the body.
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May Your Life Be Deliciosa
A delicious and fortifying picture book inspired by the author’s family, featuring the Mexican tradition of holiday tamale-making
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¡Vamos!: Let's Go Eat
Little Lobo returns to share his love of food and wrestling in this delicious follow-up to Vamos! Let'sGo to the Market from Pura Belpré Medal-winning illustrator Raúl the Third.
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Where Wonder Grows
When Grandma walks to her special garden, her granddaughters know to follow her there. Grandma invites the girls to explore her collection of treasures--magical rocks, crystals, seashells, and meteorites--to see what wonders they reveal. "They are alive with wisdom," Grandma says. As her granddaughters look closely, the treasures spark the girls' imaginations. They find stories in the strength of rocks shaped by volcanoes, the cleansing power of beautiful crystals, the mystery of the sea that houses shells and shapes the environment, and the long journey meteorites took to find their way to Earth. This is the power of Grandma's special garden, where wonder grows and stories blossom.
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Mi Casa Is My Home
Lucia invites you to visit her bustling casa and meet an intergenerational array of loved ones in a charming Spanglish celebration of family life.
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My City Speaks
A young girl’s exploration of the city she loves. A young girl and her father spend a day in the city, her city, traveling to the places they go together. As they do, the girl, who is visually impaired, describes what she senses in delightfully precise, poetic detail. Her city, she says, “pitters and patters, and drips and drains.” It’s both “smelly” and “sweet.” Her city also speaks, as it “dings and dongs and rattles and roars.” And sometimes, maybe even some of the best times, it just listens. A celebration of all there is to appreciate in our surroundings — just by paying attention!
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Opposites Abstract
Is this dark? Is this light? Is this soft? Is this hard? Using colors, shapes, lines and textures, Willems invites readers to explore abstract concepts through eye-popping, emotive, and highly-accessible artwork.
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Who Said Woof?
Who said 'Woof'? Was it Bunny? No, it was Puppy! This interactive board book will make children laugh with funny pairings, before helping them learn which noise matches which animal. With sturdy flaps to lift, tactile fabrics and a surprise mirror ending!
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Are Your Stars Like My Stars?
In beautiful, evocative rhyme, this lovely picture book helps children consider the colors of their everyday lives . . . and imagine how others around the world experience the very same things.
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Hello World!
Hello World! is the perfect reminder that the journeys we take through life are all about the people we will meet along the way--people who will make us smarter, stronger, and more amazing than we ever thought possible. With her trademark inspirational wisdom, Kelly Corrigan writes the perfect book for anyone about to embark on a new adventure.
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Listen
BEEP!
WOOF!
VROOM!
Isn’t the world a noisy place?
But what if you
stop, close your eyes,
and LISTEN?
Can you hear each sound?
Can you listen past the noise
and hear the quiet, too?
Beautifully illustrated and poignant, this lovely picture book follows a girl through her school day as she listens to sounds across the city: caws of crows, shouts across the playground, and finally, the quiet beating of her heart and whispered goodnights. -
In the Quiet, Noisy Woods
Come and explore the quiet, NOISY woods, and follow two wolf pups finding their way back to their pack in this adorable read-aloud picture book—full of boisterous animal noises and artwork that will inspire kids to get out into nature.