Every day
- Talk about the past, the future and stories, not only the here and now.
- Read together and let your child tell parts of the story.148
- Play board games with numbered squares, and count real things.
- Play games that need waiting, remembering or switching rules.
- Offer choices within limits: which book, which job first.46
- Aim for 10-13 hours of sleep a day, naps included.123
Things to talk about
You tried three ways before that worked. What helped?
What do you think will happen next?
How did the bear feel when he lost his hat?
What was the name of that bird we saw this morning?
That was tricky. Want to try a different way?
Go easy on
- More than 1 hour of screens a day, and screens in the hour before bed.110
- Promising prizes for things your child already loves doing.134131
- Paying for brain-training apps: lasting gains have not been convincingly shown.155
- Turning every game into a lesson; leave room for free play.