Every good parent wants their child to learn as much as they can, starting as young as possible. We track milestones, ask each other for advice, and encourage education whenever we can to our little ones. Some of us (myself included) started when our child was in utero. Yes, I read to my baby in the womb, played songs, researched good brain development foods and vitamins to take. As soon as they come into the world, you start monitoring their progress. From rolling over to crawling to talking and beyond. However, parenthood can get so busy with the additional tasks that come along with it: extra cleaning, extra cooking, and just extra exhaustion. We may sometimes forget to engage and educate our little ones because we’re too busy (or too tired). Or perhaps we may not know what resources there are to help our children talk, read and sing.
For busy parents, I’m excited to tell you that there’s technology that can help your child develop these skills at home, on the go, or whenever you can squeeze it in. First 5 California, an organization focused on children 0-5, has teamed up with Scholastic to create the Talk. Read. Sing. program with new lesson plans, activities, and parent resources (a Talk. Read. Sing. ® tracking chart and cut-out prompts) to encourage talking, reading, and singing with young children throughout the day to build important brain connections. In addition, these resources are now also available in Spanish. The site itself offers free resources, lesson plans, activities, and printable tracking charts to encourage more learning activities with you and your child. My favorite feature is the free streaming music. As a busy mom, this feature helps me multitask. I turn on the music when I’m doing light chores such as laundry or tidying up and my child is next to me. We sing together as we’re doing chores or getting ready for meal time.
First 5 California also just launched an app for parents named Talk. Read. Sing.® so you can use the resources whenever you have your mobile device with you. If we’re eating out, we now have some activities to do while we’re waiting for food. I also love the prompts on the app when we’re going for a walk or going shopping. It’s another way to run errands while also helping my child learn.
And yes, the app is FREE! I encourage early childhood education, especially when there are free resources like Talk. Read. Sing.® I also love it when it’s as easily accessible as possible to fit it with our busy family schedule. The Talk. Read. Sing.® app is perfect for busy parents who want to encourage their child to learn more. Visit the Talk. Read. Sing.® website to download your freebies! The app is now available on the App Store and on Google Play. Search for First 5 California Talk. Read. Sing. and download the app today.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of First 5 California . The opinions and text are all mine.