Growing Into Books

Preschoolers between the ages of 3 and 5 years learn many language skills. In fact, you probably have noticed how often your child:

• asks questions
• talks
• sings songs
• uses new words and phrases.

Listen carefully to your children. You can hear their language changing and growing:
Your child:

• uses longer and more complicated sentences
• uses new kinds of words (words that describe, such as "pretty" or "hot")
• uses language to:
  • explain things
  • ask questions
  • play pretend
  • make you laugh!

How to Help Your Child's Language Grow

Find your child’s age in the two charts that follow (on the next two pages). Each chart has two lists: How Your Child's Language is Growing, and How You Can Help.

When you read through the list, How Your Child's Language Is Growing, you will see some things that your child can already do well, some things you child is just beginning to do, and other things that your child is not doing yet.

You can help your child's language grow by doing the activities in the list, How You Can Help. Notice that you can do many of these activities while you read to your child. Reading together is one of the best ways to help your child's language grow.