Fun galore as “Play Talk Read Roadshow” rolls into town
07 Feb 2012 10:56:54
Children under three and their families are in for a big treat in East Ayrshire next week as the “Play Talk Read” bus run by the Smarter Scotland initiative rolls into a town near you.
Bring your wee ones along to the PlayTalk Read roadshow. There’ll be Baby Massage, along with Bookbug free song, rhyme and story sessions. And play@home will be running interactive play time morning sessions from 9.30am –12.30pm. Afternoon sessions are from 1.30pm-5pm daily. Join the fun for free!
Did you know that the big things like confidence, reading and language skills develop when your kids are under three? The more you play, talk and read with them when they’re young, the better they’ll be at learning new skills when they grow up.
Play
Did you know that your child’s brain is growing at such an amazing rate, that by three years old it will be three quarters of its adult size? The more you play with your kids now, the better learners they’ll be as they grow up.
If it seems like a long time ago since you’ve played, don’t worry. It’ll come back to you like riding a bike!
• Enjoy yourself – the sillier you feel, the more your child will love it!
• Trash can be treasure – and the best play ideas often don’t cost a penny. A bottle could be a rocket or add some rice and it’s a musical shaker. Kids love using their imagination!
• If your wee one doesn’t seem interested, just try another activity.
• Play can be any time or anywhere – you don’t need hours to spare or a strict routine.
Talk
Did you know that if you talk a lot to your kids, you can increase the amount of words they know by as many as 250 by the age of two? The more you do it now, the better at talking they’ll be when they get to nursery.
Don’t worry if you feel a bit silly talking to your wee one when they can’t really talk back to you yet. It’s perfectly natural, and you’ll get used to it. And you’re helping them learn to speak and think for themselves.
• Even if your child likes music or the TV, sometimes it’s good to talk with less background noise – it will help them learn to concentrate, too.
• Say what you see – it’s a great way of teaching your child words. “Here comes the bus!”
• If your wee one says something in the wrong way, don’t correct them – just repeat the word back in the right way and they’ll soon learn.
• Have fun. Talking gives you and your wee one a chance to shine – you can talk about anything you want!
Read
Did you know that kids can develop up to half of their language skills before they are three? The more you look at books together now, the better they’ll be with their reading and words as they get older.
To your wee one, you’re the best storyteller in the world, so why not give it a go? Reading doesn’t cost a penny either – just visit your local library.
• Encourage them to turn the pages with you. They’ll soon be so good at it they’ll take the book off you and do it themselves!
• Running your finger over words as you say them will help your child learn that the ‘squiggles’ they see actually mean something.
• Read at a slow pace so your baby or toddler can keep up.
• Get cosy – find a quiet space for you both to tuck away and hide from the hustle and bustle of the day.
Join the fun for free! Bring your toddler to :
14/02/12 – The Cross, (Top of King Street at the bottom of Portland Gate), Kilmarnock, KA1 1PT
15/02/12 – AM ASDA Kilmarnock Superstore, 10 Queens Drive, Kilmarnock, KA1 3XB
15/02/12 – PM Tesco Kilmarnock Extra, West Shaw Street, Kilmarnock, KA1 4BS
16/02/12 – AM ASDA Cumnock Supermarket, Townhead Street, Cumnock, KA18 1LE
16/02/12 – PM Tesco Auchinleck, Main Street, Auchinleck, Cumnock, East Ayrshire, KA18 2AA
To find out more, visit www.playtalkread.org
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