Talk, Read, and Sing - Talking is Teaching
April 2022 - Counting
Created by Great Lakes Bay Parents - Informing parents since 2012!
You are your child's lifelong teacher.

"Talking is Teaching: Talk, Read, Sing" is a public awareness and action campaign that helps parents recognize their power to boost their children’s early brain and vocabulary development through simple, everyday actions ... "
LET'S TALK ABOUT COUNTING
Let’s talk, read, and sing about COUNTING! Go on a nature walk with your child and count all the beautiful things you see outside together! How many tall trees did you pass on your walk? How many colorful flowers did you spot? Look up in the sky and count all the puffy white clouds you see. Counting with your child helps to build a solid foundation for future math skills like addition and subtraction.

Talking is Teaching has tips and resources to help parents talk to their children, even those who are very young. 
LET'S TALK TOGETHER
Activities For You & Your Little One
Talking is Teaching Tip:

Playtime at the park is not only excellent for your child’s physical development but also offers great opportunities for learning fun! Count how many steps they climb as they go up a ladder or how many steps it takes to get to the top of the tallest slide. Practice simple addition by counting how many children you see at the park, then add the number of adults you see… how many people are at the park in all? 
ACTIVITY BOOK TO INTRODUCE EARLY MATH CONCEPTS & WORDS TO YOUR CHILD
Math is all around us!

"Did you know that you can easily help your little one learn math skills? Yes, you can! Children are interested in math and love thinking about it.

In fact, scientists have found that children’s brains are ready to understand number concepts from a very early age. And a recent study found that if you use math words in everyday conversations with your toddlers and preschoolers, they’ll do better in math and reading when they reach elementary school."
Talking is Teaching Activity Calendar
Talking is Teaching Scavenger Hunt
Scavenger hunts are a fun way to bond with your child and talk about COUNTING! Take a walk around your home or neighborhood and together find the items on the list.
LET'S READ TOGETHER
Talking is Teaching READING Book & Video Recommendations
Cuddle up with your little one with a book or a video about COUNTING ! Books build connections. That’s why it’s important to read with your little one every day!

Below is a listing of recommended books and videos from Talking is Teaching. If these are unavailable, visit your local library and ask the librarian for ideas. 
Visit Your Local Library and Ask a Librarian

Contact your local library to learn about the FREE resources available to you and your child.

Birch Run - Thomas E. Fleschner Memorial Library 989-624-5171

Breckenridge -  Howe Memorial Library 989-842-3202

Bridgeport - Bridgeport Public Library 989-777-6030

Chesaning Township - River Rapids District Library 989-845-3211

Frankenmuth -  Frankenmuth Wickson District Library 989-652-8323

Hemlock -  Rauchholz Memorial Library 989-642-8621

Merrill -  Merrill District Library 989-643-7300

Saginaw - Public Libraries of Saginaw 989-755-0904

  • Butman-Fish Library 989-799-9160
  • Rudolph C. Zauel Memorial Library 989-799-2771
  • Ruth Brady Wickes Library 989-752-3821

Saint Charles -  Saint Charles District Library 989-865-9371
LET'S SING TOGETHER
Sing & Dance with Sesame Street
Sesame Street: Learn to count to 5! | Counting Songs Compilation

Let’s sing about COUNTING! Sing-along with Sesame Street’s Count and Elmo as they count to 5! This counting songs compilation will have you counting to five faster than you can say 1,2,3,4,5!
THE IMPORTANCE OF TALKING TO YOUNG CHILDREN
Early Math Resources
By Talking is Teaching
"Babies doing math? That’s right! The roots of early math skills begin developing from birth, through babies’ everyday play and interactions with parents and caregivers. These early math skills have a big impact on children’s school readiness—in fact, research has found that a strong understanding of early math concepts predicts both a child’s future math and literacy skills."
PARENT SUPPORT & CLASSES
Parent Cafe
Great Start Saginaw
Online Parenting Classes & Webinars
MSU Extension
Extension Extras Parenting Hour:
DEVELOPMENT OF SELF-CONTROL
April 27 at 11 am

POSITIVE DISCIPLINE
May 3 at 8 pm

YOUNG AT ART
May 10 at 8 pm

TALKING WITH KIDS ABOUT RACE
May 17 at 8 pm
RESOURCES
STEM Passport
Locate STEM events & programs near you by using the STEM Passport App.

The app is currently available on Android / Google Play Store, and iOS / Apple App Store.

FREE
Bedtime Math
BEDTIME MATH is a FREE "app for iPhone/iPad or Android, available in both English and Spanish, is a great way for families with kids ages 3-9 to have fun with math together! "

Mission: Our charitable mission is to help kids love numbers so they can handle the math in real life.
Need Help? Call 2-1-1.
*This newsletter was supported by the Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five Initiative (PDG B-5), Grant Number 90TP0055-01-0090TP0002, from the Office of Child Care, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

**Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Office of Child Care, the Administration for Children and Families, or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.