Your Child’s Journey

Explore by Age

Latest Articles

  • A child's hand is open with his fingers spread. Using the 5-Finger-Retell strategy is great for building reading comprehension skills.

    5 Finger Retelling to Strengthen Reading Comprehension Skills

    At 6 years of age, your child is likely working on reading comprehension strategies in school. To help support your little one's progress, employ the 5 Finger Retell whenever you read your daily story at home. Due to the visual nature of this activity, it's something your child can remember easily, can take with them wherever they go, and with regular practice, they'll be able to efficiently summarize stories in no time!

    read more
  • Grandmother and 3-year-old grandson stand together at the sink washing up. 3-year-old are eager to be helpers and giving them chores to do will help them feel a sense of independence and accomplishment.

    7 Simple Chores Your Little "Helper" Will Love Doing

    At three years old, children are beginning to develop their independence and sense of responsibility. Giving them age-appropriate chores can help foster these qualities, while also teaching them valuable life skills. Your toddler will beam with pride as they accomplish important tasks that contribute to their household. They'll also understand that a household and family function when everyone helps.

    read more
  • A pair of child's hands build an imaginary apparatus with Legos. Imaginative play is crucial for a 4-year-old's development.

    Why is Imaginative Play So Important for 4-Year-Olds?

    Imaginative play, also known as pretend play, is a type of play that allows children to create their own stories and characters, and act them out in a make-believe world. This includes playing dress-up, building their own worlds using blocks, and using dolls and toy animals to create scenarios. This type of play is particularly important for 4-year-olds, as they are deep into the "Magic Years," a period between 3 and 4 years of age that is rooted in imagination and discovery. Playing pretend helps them to develop a number of important skills that will be useful to them throughout their lives.

    read more
  • 3-year-old boy laughs with glee as he plays with the water coming out of a garden hose. Letting your child take risks is one factor of raising independent children.

    5 Tips for Fostering Independence in Your Toddler

    Toddlers are at a stage in their development where they are eager to explore and learn about the world around them. As parents or caregivers, it is important to foster their independence so that they can develop important life skills and become more self-sufficient.

    read more
  • How to Read Interactively with Your Toddler

    How to Read Interactively with Your Toddler

    Reading to your toddler is not only an enjoyable activity, but it is also an excellent way to help them develop language and literacy skills. Interactive reading is a way of engaging your child during the reading process by asking questions, pointing out pictures, and encouraging them to participate in the story. Moreover, it's a surefire way to foster a love of reading in your child. When they see reading time as something to look forward to because they get to have a bit of fun, quality time with Mommy or Daddy, they'll forever associate books with positive feelings.

    read more
  • 1-year-old girl wears a happy but quizzical expression in front of a red background.

    Do Nursery Rhymes Benefit My Child?

    From Baa Baa Black Sheep to I'm a Little Teapot, nursery rhymes have been used for ages as a way for adults to engage their children. It turns out, these simple poems and songs actually pack quite a punch in helping your child develop and learn! Read on to discover the benefits of practicing rhymes with your little one.

    read more
  • 1-Year-Old girl lifts a foot up to crawl out of a sand box. A 1-year-old's motor skills are rapidly developing and can be strengthened with simple activities.

    5 Simple Activities to Help Your 1-Year-Old Strengthen Motor Skills

    At 1-years-old, you'll notice your little one's motor skills ramping up quite a bit and soon you'll have a toddler on the move! Motor skills refer to the ability to control one's movements and perform physical tasks, such as crawling, walking, and playing with toys. Strong motor skills are essential for a child's overall development, as they lay the foundation for more advanced physical abilities and coordination later in life.

    read more
  • Two children sit side by side reading a book and holding a Storypod. Print awareness is one of the indicators that your child is ready to read in Kindergarten.

    The Kindergarten Reading Readiness Checklist

    Kindergarten reading readiness refers to the stage in which a child shows signs that they are ready to begin reading. It is a crucial topic for parents and educators alike. Reading is an essential skill that forms the foundation for academic success, and it is important to ensure that children are prepared to learn to read when they begin kindergarten.

    read more
  • 6-year-old boy lays in a pile of leaves with a relaxed expression on his face. There are several methods to help your child focus that will lead to task completion in a calm and collected manner.

    Is Your Child Having Trouble Focusing? Here Are a Few Practices to Start Today

    Having trouble getting your child to put their coat, shoes, and backpack on before heading out for the bus? Or is your bedtime routine chaos because you're constantly nagging your little one with reminders to brush their teeth or pick up their toys? While young children aren't expected to be specimens of calm and efficiency, they should certainly be able to get through relatively simple tasks without too much resistance. 

    read more
  • A toddler and a young child hold hands while walking through a field. Turn taking a crucial social skill that you will want to begin instilling in your child as early as possible.

    Instill Turn Taking with a Few Simple Practices

    At two-years-old, your child will naturally be very self-centered. Their ability to comprehend the needs of others is just starting to develop, so things like taking turns and sharing can be difficult at the start. And this is to be expected! They're inundated by new information and feelings each day and so they're still learning to navigate the big world as a little person. Add the feelings and needs of others to the mix? Well… it's going to take some time and practice.

    read more
  • A child reading along with the Storypod.

    Why Listening is an Essential Part of Learning How to Read

    While developmentally-conscious parents institute storytime as a vital part of their household ritual, primary classrooms fill their schedules with “rhyme time” and daily songs. Any parent or teacher can tell you how much children love to listen to stories, songs, and rhymes.

    read more
  • Toddler sits on bed with book on his lap and a Storypod beside him

    Leaning on Illustrations to Strengthen Reading Comprehension Skills

    While, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” may be an old adage that holds true in some cases, it turns out that when it comes to actual children’s books, illustrations may play a bigger role in early literacy than we think. Everyone knows that illustration does wonders for capturing attention and engaging the minds of our little ones.

    read more