Baby Brains and Literacy!

Via First Things First

Hi Y'all!  Happy Thursday!  I really hope your week if flying by, gosh... mine sure is!  I still haven't made it to Express (or the mall, actually...) to buy some cute new work clothes in prep for my first day on my new job next week, but I have been spending some time reading some interesting information on young children.  If there is one thing that I cannot stress enough, it is the importance of understanding the impact we have on your children.  It just kills me when I see parents, grandparents, or just people in general who don't realize how much of an impact they have on children.  Whether its because they don't care or they just don't know, it is sooo important to educate everyone!

I think that picture at the top of this post says it all: The brain is the only organ not developed fully when a baby is born.  What does that mean?  It is constantly developing in the early years... and we are they key in that development!

So in short, what can you do today to help encourage learning and brain development?  Well, the list can go on forever, but we can start by focusing on literacy in the early years.  It is as simple as that- read to your babies!

1. Read to young children EVERYDAY! (It doesn't matter if they are a newborn or a 4 year old!)
2. Talk to your babies, regardless of age, and explain to them what you are doing.  Ask them questions (even if they cannot talk yet!)
3. Take young children to the library.  Let them see you reading.
4. Tell your children stories.  Make up stories with their name. 
5. Read nursery rhymes, or even better, make up your own rhymes!  Sing them, chant them, whatever you want to do!
6. Point out letters around you. Read alphabet books.  Play with Alphabet magnets.

I leave you with this awesome statistic, below.  Now, go READ to your babies! :)