Book Bottle Bed Basics- Promoting Early Literacy for Your Child

This FREE 5-page guide by Erin Hays, certified Reading Specialist, teacher, and parent, offers simple, research-backed advice for parents of children ages birth–8. It emphasizes that daily reading aloud and everyday habits, not special tools, will build vocabulary, imagination, empathy, and school readiness.

Key points:

• Reading aloud from birth closes the “million-word gap,” strengthens language and brain development, boosts empathy and motivation, and improves long-term academic success. Only about half of families currently do this regularly.
• Parents are a child’s first teacher; just 10–20 minutes a day with a book is enough.
• Eight practical tips: start early and make reading a routine; read with expression; talk about the story; choose age-appropriate books and re-read favorites; add play and interaction; limit screens; create a print-rich home; and celebrate progress.