Talk Read Sing Your Child into Success

Talk, Read, Sing® your child into success is a concept that we do our very best to live by. Anyone who has spent some time around this blog or those who know me personally can see that I am a lover of all-things education. I’ve been given an amazing opportunity to homeschool our three children over the last 11 years and love every minute of it. In talking and spending time with my children you will quickly see that all three of them love to talk, read, and sing. As a matter of fact, my husband, children, and I all love to talk to one another, sing our favorite songs, and read (alone and together). And to our delight, our love for talking, reading, and singing has given our children a foundation for success.

On any given day you will find my children reading and being read to by either my husband or myself. You will also hear a home filled with lots of singing, talking (and sometimes bickering), and laughter. And what I’ve found through the last 15 years of being a mother is that all of these amazing memories we create together are also a gateway to crucial brain development, motor skills, and the ability to absorb information. Let me share a bit about our story and how the Talk, Read, Sing® concept has been a blessing in our lives.

Talk Read Sing Your Child into Success

I’ve heard it time and time again that the first 5 years of a child’s life are crucial to their success later in life. And as I’ve done more and more research on the topic, I’ve found that there are many scientific and social studies to back up this claim. And I’ve also found that it really doesn’t take as much “time” as you think to be able to set your children up for a successful future! I know when I was a young mother I was very overwhelmed by all of the articles I was reading and “trends” that were out there trying to tell me the best way to “educate” my children. And to be honest, I didn’t know if I could do it.

But then one day it hit me: I can do this.

Let me tell you how I got here – to the point that I was able to realize that giving my children a great start to their education (and entire life, really) wasn’t something that would require a fancy education or 12 focused hours a day. No. I had it already inside of me!

Some of my fondest memories as a child are surrounded by talking to my mother and grandmother, reading (to myself and being read to), and singing. These are all three something that is already worked into the very fiber of who I am. I cannot tell you how many hours I spent high up in a tree reading about adventures that my favorite fictional characters were taking. And talking? Yep, I have had that “skill” since I was born (so I’ve been told). And I was grateful to grow up in a home where conversations were rampant and nothing was off limits. My mother sang to me all the time and we listened to music all the time. So it was only fitting that I, too, would become a little girl (and now woman) who loves to sing. And the funny thing? My mom wasn’t doing any of this with my “success” in mind. She simply did it out of love.

Some Easy Ways We Talk, Read, Sing Together…

Here are just a few ideas that we have found useful in our quest to continuously talk, read, and sing together with the children:

• Curl up on the couch with a book and each take a turn reading a page.
• Watch a musical and sing along.
• Read a story at bedtime.
• Talking during meal time to see how everyone is doing.
• Taking a walk and singing our favorite song.
• Listening to books on audio while in the car.
• Head to the library for story time.

There is no shortage of ideas to easily implement these things into our every day lives. No need to add any stress, just fun!

Are you not someone who naturally talks, sings, or reads? That’s okay. Don’t worry. There are fabulous organizations out there like First 5 California that were created to help inspire you on your journey to preparing your children for their future. You’ll be surprised at quickly these three key foundational learning tools will become a part of your every day life at home!

Here are some great things you can gain by visiting the First 5 California website:

• FREE resources like cookbooks, coloring pages, eBooks, activities, informative videos, and more!
• Key information on brain development the first 5 years of life.
• How to apply the Talk, Read, Sing® concept in your home.
• Key information on language development, reading, and fine/gross motor skills.
• and so much more!

It is programs like First 5 California that really help parents obtain the tools and support we need in order to set our children up for success in life. If it weren’t for programs like this, many children wouldn’t be where they are today. I am so thankful and encourage you to take advantage of these free resources and share this gift with others you know who may benefit.

Does your family use the talk, read, sing method? If so, share your story! I’d love to hear it!