Read, Talk & Play With Your Preschooler

Learning begins the moment a baby is born, and before a child turns 5 years old, 90% of his or her brain development is complete.

That means the experiences children have before they ever enter school lay the foundation necessary for a lifetime of success.

Unfortunately, the most recent data released by the Kentucky Department of Education revealed that only 51.3% of incoming students in Fayette County met kindergarten readiness benchmarks this past fall.

The good news is that the solution is child’s play – literally. The more time families spend playing, talking and reading with their children, the better prepared their children will be for the future.

According to child development specialist James Hymes, “Play for young children is not recreation activity. It is not leisure-time activity nor escape activity. Play is thinking time for young children. It is language time. Problem-solving time. It is memory time, planning time, investigating time.

“It is organization-of-ideas time, when the young child uses his mind and body and his social skills and all his powers in response to the stimuli he has met.”

That’s why the Fayette County Public Schools and partnering community agencies have launched an early childhood initiative called First 5 Lex – READ, TALK and PLAY from Cradle to Kindergarten.

Efforts include fun activities for families to do as they shop at area Kroger locations and “read to me” libraries filled with books in businesses and agencies frequented by families.

There is also an app to give families access to information about early learning and connect them to fun, stimulating, age-appropriate activities and experiences that will support their young child’s development and learning.

To learn more, please visit www.First5Lex.com and download the app to your smartphone or tablet.
Interactions between families and caregivers with their babies and young children actually build brain circuitry.

Babies and young children thrive on these interactions, which develop their thinking and language skills necessary for school and life success.

Healthy development depends on the quality and reliability of a young child’s relationships with the important people in their lives, both within and outside the family.

The warmth and support of a caregiver or teacher in an early childhood setting also influences the development of important capabilities in children, including greater social competence, fewer behavior problems, and enhanced thinking and reasoning skills at school age.

The basics of school readiness revolve around children having a warm nurturing environment with lots of direct positive interactions with the adults in their lives.

So enjoy these early years with your child. READ, TALK and PLAY all you can and seek quality Early Care and Education for your child where they can thrive in an active, hands-on, language rich environment.