Building Phonological Awareness with Alien Tea
January 16, 2024
Book Nook

Rhyming books are one of the best tools for promoting sound awareness, a skill that prepares children for connecting the letters they see on a page with the sounds they represent. In this Book Nook, we share a fun Hanen strategy that you can use when sharing rhyming books with your child.

School Readiness Tip: Build Children’s Everyday Vocabulary
January 15, 2024
Tip

Children’s vocabulary grows when they participate in conversations and hear new words. Highlight new words by pairing the word with a gesture, repeating it, and explaining what it means. Here are some fun things to try in everyday situations.

School Readiness Tip: Expand the Child’s Message
December 15, 2023
Tip

Help develop children’s language by adding words and ideas to what they say. When you respond to what a child says by making their sentence more complete, or by adding a new idea, you model more advanced language that they can learn from. Here are some fun things to try.

Just Being in the Same Classroom Is Not Enough: How to Promote Peer Interactions
December 09, 2023
Article

In order to learn from their peers, children with delayed language skills need to interact regularly with children with stronger language skills. But is this interaction happening in preschool classrooms? Find out what the research says, and what educators can do to promote the kind of peer interactions that benefit children most.

Bring On the Books! 10 Tips for Reading with Autistic Children
November 14, 2023
Article

Reading with your autistic child helps to build both their early literacy skills and communication skills. But did you know that the way you read with your child can make a big difference? Use these fun, simple tips to make the most of book reading to encourage your child to interact and learn.

Building Print Knowledge with My Truck Is Stuck
November 14, 2023
Book Nook

When you read with your child, how much attention do they pay to the words on the page? Do they realise that the written words play an important role in telling the story? Part of supporting your child’s early literacy is helping them understand that print has meaning. Use these tips to build your child’s awareness of print and lay an important foundation for reading and writing.

School Readiness Tip: Keep the Conversation Going
November 14, 2023
Tip

The best interactions with children happen during conversations that naturally continue when you follow the child’s lead. To follow the child’s lead, make a comment or ask a question related to what they have communicated. Then pause to give them a chance to respond. Keep this going back and forth! Here are some fun ways to keep conversations going and build language with young children.

Make Words Stand Out with the Four S’s!
October 19, 2023
Article

Helping your child learn new words doesn’t require special toys or flash cards. By using the Hanen Four S’s strategy during everyday conversations, you can build your child’s understanding of new words and pave the way for your child to use them when they’re ready. 
 

Building Perspective-taking Skills with They All Saw a Cat
October 19, 2023
Book Nook

When you encourage perspective-taking during book reading, you not only deepen your child’s understanding of the story, but also build the skills that help them understand why the people in their own lives act or respond the way they do. Use the tips in this Book Nook to spark conversations about how we all see and experience the world differently.