Rocketro99

Literacy learning begins early. Check out this sweet little one as she “reads” a board book independently in her crib. Her language is not yet conventional. But consider all the knowledge she’s putting on display. First, she knows that books contain meaning and that they can be read aloud - just like her parents do with her. She’s got an understanding (even if her book is upside down) that as stories progress one turns the pages from left to right. And, interestingly, she may even recognize that books catering to her age range often include simple, repetitive text. (Listen as she vocalizes a similar pattern over and over.) Is she interacting with the text itself? Not yet. And that’s just fine. But at well under a year of age, she’s already absorbed an impressive amount about books and how they work. Read with your baby every day. You’ll be amazed by the benefits. This literate little one was shared to IG by last1knights.

Dads matter. When it comes to child development we are still only beginning to understand the long term impacts of our early experiences. But a growing body of evidence suggests that our experiences during early childhood not only wire the brain for success but also powerfully shape our adult health. And dads play an important role here. One recent study looked at the body’s stress response systems and found that children with involved fathers as infants measured lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol throughout each day some thirty years later. The same researchers found that the quantity of fathers’ involvement also significantly reduced the amount of sons’ illicit drug and tobacco use across the 20s. For these and a whole list of other reasons, dads make a difference. And today we celebrate them. Here’s a video I’ve been saving for Fathers Day from doting first-time dad @liamchennells. When a friend messaged him to ask about life as a new dad, he created this video in response. As Liam notes in closing, “There’s nothing better.” And that’s true for them both. Here’s wishing a happy Fathers Day to all who hold the title of dad.

As a parent, lap reading is a joy. It’s a chance to cuddle your little one, while exposing them to rich vocabulary, concepts of print, and the wonder of books. When it comes to infants, however, lap reading can deprive babies of their favorite (and most important) sight: YOU. Which is why you might want to explore face-to-face reading as well. (With your baby facing toward you and the book simultaneously as depicted in the photo in the first reply below.) Developmentally, there are multiple benefits to allowing your baby to see you as you read together. Your little one is an expert at “reading” your face. This posture allows your baby to track your eyes to discover what you’re tuning in to. It also allows them to watch your mouth and learn how you’re making the words and sounds that accompany the pictures. This clever little one illustrates the case beautifully, creating a face-to-face experience of her own. Watch as our hero divides her attention between the book (and her important page turning responsibility!) and dad’s face - which she swivels her head to admire with equal (if not greater) interest. Kudos to dad, as well, as he balances book time and face time with his daughter - taking time to honor her interest in connection and observation. The logistics can obviously be a little trickier (consider reading face-to-face as your partner holds baby in their lap as one potential solution) - but the benefits are well worth the effort. Face-to-face reading for the win! This adorable father-daughter duo was shared to IG by mylittlemissameliaa.