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It's no secret that reading and writing are critical building blocks for education. While these pre-literacy skills are taught in school, research from the Center for Improvement of Early Reading Achievement found that the schools with the most effective reading programs also made the most effort to get parents involved.
What you do today can have a long-lasting effect on your child's academic development. It's understandable if you're concerned about burdening your kid with extra learning, but you don't have to overwhelm her with formal instruction—encourage literacy with fun, everyday activities.
Banish Baby Talk
Strive for Five
Bring Back the Bedtime Book
Scrap the Script
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Visit the Library
It's fun, educational, and free. In addition to unlimited books to choose from, your local library probably offers crafts, story time and other activities to keep the kids interested. Let your little one pick out her own books—if she loves fairy tales, she'll be more interested in reading in general if she has a copy of Cinderella, as opposed to Madeline.