You’re reading a familiar story.

Before turning the page, ask:

“What happens next?”

This tiny question encourages your child to remember, predict and explain.

Stories build more than reading skills

By around age four, many children can tell what comes next in a well-known story.

While reading, children practise:

• Listening.

• Remembering events.

• Understanding sequence.

• Learning new words.

• Talking about characters.

• Predicting what might happen.

Pause sometimes

You don’t need to ask a question on every page.

Try occasional prompts:

“What happened first?”

“Why do you think he is sad?”

“What do you think happens next?”

“How do you think the story ends?”

Let answers be imaginative

Your child’s prediction does not have to match the book.

If they suggest a completely different ending, ask them to tell you more.

That turns reading into conversation.

Use favourite stories repeatedly

Children often enjoy the same book again and again.

Repetition helps them remember language and sequences, and eventually they may begin “reading” parts from memory.

💚 Earlyhood Parent Tip

Don’t always rush to the next page.

A 30-second conversation about one picture can turn reading into active learning.

Source: CDC – Cognitive and Language Milestones by 4 Years

Big and small.

Hot and cold.

Fast and slow.

Up and down.

Learning opposites helps children build vocabulary while understanding how things relate to one another.

Teach through real life

You don’t need flashcards.

Try:

Big and small

Compare two spoons or two toys.

Fast and slow

Walk quickly, then slowly.

Loud and quiet

Clap loudly, then softly.

Up and down

Move a toy car up and down a ramp.

CDC suggests simple opposite games for three-year-olds, such as demonstrating small/big and fast/slow.

Let your child demonstrate

Ask:

“Can you show me something tall?”

“Can you walk very slowly?”

“What is the opposite of open?”

Children often remember ideas better when they can move, touch and experience them.

Don’t turn it into a test

If your child gets an answer wrong, demonstrate the difference again.

Learning happens through repetition.

💚 Earlyhood Parent Tip

Use your home as the activity.

Full/empty cups, long/short pencils and open/closed doors can teach concepts without another worksheet.

Source: CDC – Activities for 3-Year-Old Development

“Put all the red blocks here.”

“Can you find the big cars?”

Sorting may look simple, but it helps children notice similarities and differences.

What can children sort?

Try sorting by:

• Colour.

• Shape.

• Size.

• Type.

• Texture.

You can use:

• Blocks.

• Toy animals.

• Socks.

• Large bottle caps.

• Safe kitchen objects.

• Leaves collected outdoors.

For younger children, always avoid small objects that could be choking hazards.

Turn it into conversation

Ask:

“Why did you put these together?”

“Which one is bigger?”

“Can you find another blue one?”

This encourages children to describe what they notice.

By around 30 months, many children can identify at least one colour and show simple problem-solving skills.

Let your child invent categories

Adults may sort toy animals by type.

Your child may instead decide:

“These ones are sleepy.”

That is fine.

Sorting can also involve imagination and flexible thinking.

💚 Earlyhood Parent Tip

You don’t need special learning cards.

A basket of socks or a box of blocks can become a simple thinking activity.

Source: CDC – Milestones by 30 Months

Children do not always need a new toy or app to learn something new.

Traditional games can offer movement, problem-solving, cooperation and plenty of fun.

Try familiar games

Depending on your child’s age and available space, you might try:

• Hopscotch.

• Pitthu.

• Catch.

• Simple kabaddi-style games.

• Hide-and-seek.

• Passing-the-ball games.

UNICEF India highlights traditional games such as pitthu, stapu and kabaddi as ways children can practise physical coordination, problem-solving and social skills.

What can children practise?

Games can involve:

Movement

Running, balancing, jumping and throwing.

Thinking

Remembering rules and deciding what to do next.

Social skills

Taking turns, negotiating and handling winning or losing.

Keep rules age-appropriate

A complicated game can be simplified for younger children.

The goal is participation and enjoyment—not perfect rule-following.

Also make sure the play space is safe and children are supervised appropriately.

💚 Earlyhood Parent Tip

Before looking for another activity class, teach your child a game you played when you were young.

Learning can also connect children with family and culture.

Source: UNICEF India – Play, Love, Learn

Once children can speak, parents sometimes assume that reading aloud becomes less important.

But shared reading offers much more than recognising words.

Books create conversation

While reading, children can:

• Learn new words.

• Talk about emotions.

• Predict what happens next.

• Ask questions.

• Retell stories.

• Notice pictures and details.

By age five, answering simple questions about a story and telling a story with multiple events are among the communication milestones many children demonstrate.

Don’t just read the words

Pause occasionally and ask:

“What do you think happens next?”

“Why does she look sad?”

“What would you do?”

You don’t need to quiz your child after every page. Keep the experience relaxed.

Read in your home language

You can read or tell stories in English, Kannada, Hindi, Marathi or any language your family uses.

Parents can also make up stories if books are not available.

The American Academy of Pediatrics’ “Brush, Book, Bed” routine recommends daily shared reading as part of a healthy bedtime routine.

💚 Earlyhood Parent Tip

Don’t worry about finishing the book.

A ten-minute conversation about three pages can sometimes be more valuable than rushing through twenty.

Source: American Academy of Pediatrics – Brush, Book, Bed