Things to Do to Help Your Child

Emergent literacy skills are the skills that babies, toddlers, and preschoolers need so that they are ready to learn to read and write when they start school.
Emergent Literacy Checklist: Birth – 2 and a half
Book Reading Checklist for Parents: How am I building my child’s early literacy skills?
Book Lists
Children get ready to read long before they start school. From birth to 3 years, children are learning about spoken language and vocabulary, the sounds that form words, letters and writing, and how books work. Make book sharing a special part of your everyday routine starting at birth. You don’t have to read the words. Talk about the pictures that interest your child. Let your child hold the book and turn the pages. Check out this Language Express newsletter for more things you can do at home to raise a child who is ready to read.
Books, Language and Literacy – This webinar from the Ottawa preschool speech and language program explains simple things you can do right now to promote literacy development.
Helpful Newsletters:
- Issue 28 – Prepare Your Child For Reading Success
- Issue 22 – Read To Your Child Every Day!

Young children learn to make speech sounds through observation, imitation, and practice. You can help:
- DO: Be face-to-face as much as possible;
- DO: Repeat correctly, so that the child hears a clear, correct version of what he/she just said. For example, if the child says, “Mo teese!” you could say, “More cheese. I want more cheese please.”
- DON’T: Ask the child to try again or tell him that he said it wrong. If the child is receiving speech therapy, you can ask the Speech-Language Pathologist if there are other ways you can help.
How to Model CLEAR Speech

You Are the Key to Your Child’s First Words – The Hanen Centre
Learning To Talk (Birth – 2 and a half years) Tips for encouraging communication development:
Healthy Baby, Healthy Brain
Strategies to Help Communication Grow – This webinar from the Ottawa preschool speech and language program explains simple things you can do right now to promote language development.
Learning More Than One Language – This webinar from the Ottawa preschool speech and language program explains strategies to help children learning more than one language development.

As a parent, you play an important role in the development of your baby’s brain. You are your baby’s most important connection to the world. You interact daily with your baby. These interactions have a life-long effect on your baby’s ability to reach full potential. This website will help you support your baby’s brain development from birth to age 3.

Helpful newsletters

What is Social Communication and Why Does it Matter?
Why Self-Regulation is Important for Young Children
Choosing Toys for Toddlers and Preschoolers
Looksee Checklist
- The Looksee Checklist is designed to provide an easy-to-use method of recording the development and progress of infants and children. The Looksee provides a general overview (snap-shot) of the child’s development on the day of screening.
Helpful newsletters:

Healthy Babies, Healthy Children
Hearing Testing Clinics for Preschool Children in Lanark, Leeds, and Grenville
EarlyON Child and Family Centres are places where parents and caregivers can:
- Access programs and activities with their children 0-6 years
- Ask parenting questions of early years professionals and get information on programs and services available
- Talk to other parents and caregivers.
- Leeds and Grenville EarlyON Child and Family Centre
- Lanark EarlyON Child and Family Centre
Lanark County Libraries and Leeds Grenville Libraries
Every Kid in Our Communities of Leeds and Grenville
- Every Kid in Our Communities of Leeds and Grenville generates positive change for children and their families by bringing together key players from our communities, including those who may not have previously engaged due to perceived agency or professional boundaries.
Triple P Parenting Program – Triple P is a parenting program, but it doesn’t tell you how to be a parent. It’s more like a toolbox of ideas. You choose the strategies you need.

Emergent literacy skills are the skills that babies, toddlers, and preschoolers need so that they are ready to learn to read and write when they start school.
Book Reading Checklist for Parents: How am I building my child’s early literacy skills?
Emergent Literacy Checklist: 2 and a half – 4 and a half
Book Lists
Every Child Ready to Read provides resources and information on encouraging early literacy for preschool children.
Children get ready to read long before they start school. From birth to 3 years, children are learning about spoken language and vocabulary, the sounds that form words, letters and writing, and how books work. Make book sharing a special part of your everyday routine starting at birth. You don’t have to read the words. Talk about the pictures that interest your child. Let your child hold the book and turn the pages. Check out this Language Express newsletter for more things you can do at home to raise a child who is ready to read.
Books, Language and Literacy – This webinar from the Ottawa preschool speech and language program explains simple things you can do right now to promote literacy development.
Helpful Newsletters:
- Issue 28 – Prepare Your Child For Reading Success
- Issue 22 – Read To Your Child Every Day!

Young children learn to make speech sounds through observation, imitation, and practice. You can help:
- DO: Be face-to-face as much as possible;
- DO: Repeat correctly, so that the child hears a clear, correct version of what he/she just said. For example, if the child says, “Mo teese!” you could say, “More cheese. I want more cheese please.”
- DON’T: Ask the child to try again or tell him that he said it wrong. If the child is receiving speech therapy, you can ask the Speech-Language Pathologist if there are other ways you can help.
How to Model CLEAR Speech
Video for Parents about Speech Modelling – The Speech & Stuttering Institute
Video for Parents: Help Your Child Say Words in New Ways – The Speech & Stuttering Institute
Video for parents: Speech Practice in Daily Routines – The Speech & Stuttering Institute

Learning to Talk 2 (2 1/2 – 5 years) Tips for encouraging communication development.
Helpful newsletters:
Hearing Testing Clinics for Preschool Children in Lanark, Leeds, and Grenville
Strategies to Help Communication Grow – This webinar from the Ottawa preschool speech and language program explains simple things you can do right now to promote language development.
Learning More Than One Language – This webinar from the Ottawa preschool speech and language program explains strategies to help children learning more than one language development.

What is Social Communication and Why Does it Matter?
Why Self-Regulation is Important for Young Children
Choosing Toys for Toddlers and Preschoolers
Looksee Checklist
- The Looksee Checklist (formerly the Nipissing District Developmental Screen (NDDS)) is designed to provide an easy-to-use method of recording the development and progress of infants and children. The NDDS provides a general overview (snap-shot) of the child’s development on the day of screening.
Helpful Newsletters:

Healthy Babies, Healthy Children
Hearing Testing Clinics for Preschool Children in Lanark, Leeds, and Grenville
EarlyON Child and Family Centres are places where parents and caregivers can:
- Access programs and activities with their children 0-6 years
- Ask parenting questions of early years professionals and get information on programs and services available
- Talk to other parents and caregivers.
- Leeds and Grenville EarlyON Child and Family Centre
- Lanark EarlyON Child and Family Centre
Lanark County Libraries and Leeds Grenville Libraries
Every Kid in Our Communities of Leeds and Grenville
- Every Kid in Our Communities of Leeds and Grenville generates positive change for children and their families by bringing together key players from our communities, including those who may not have previously engaged due to perceived agency or professional boundaries.
Triple P Parenting Program – Triple P is a parenting program, but it doesn’t tell you how to be a parent. It’s more like a toolbox of ideas. You choose the strategies you need.

Helpful newsletters:

Children get ready to read long before they start school. From birth to 3 years, children are learning about spoken language and vocabulary, the sounds that form words, letters and writing, and how books work. Make book sharing a special part of your everyday routine starting at birth. You don’t have to read the words. Talk about the pictures that interest your child. Let your child hold the book and turn the pages. Check out this Language Express newsletter for more things you can do at home to raise a child who is ready to read.

Emergent literacy skills are the skills that babies, toddlers, and preschoolers need so that they are ready to learn to read and write when they start school.
Emergent literacy checklist: 2 and a half – 4 and a half years
Book Lists
Encourage Reading, Writing and Math
Math with Kids is Fun!
Book Reading Checklist for Parents: How am I building my child’s early literacy skills?
Be present and engaged when screens are used and, whenever possible, co-view with children. Be aware of digital content, prioritizing educational, age-appropriate, interactive content.
- Be mindful about the use of screen time
- Model healthy screen time
- Adults should turn off their devices at home during family time, turn off screens when not in use and avoid background TV.
Every Child Ready to Read provides resources and information on encouraging early literacy for preschool children.
Helpful newsletters:
Hearing Testing Clinics for Preschool Children in Lanark, Leeds, and Grenville

What is Social Communication and Why Does it Matter?
Ready for Kindergarten Checklist
Why Self-Regulation is Important for Young Children
Will your child be starting school in September? Now is the time to sign up for library and EarlyON programs! Many virtual programs are available while in-person programs are unavailable due to the pandemic. Children need opportunities to learn how to participate in structured group activities with other children before they start school. This is especially important for children who have not attended licensed child care. Click for information about programs near you:
Helpful newsletters

Healthy Babies, Healthy Children
Ontario Association of Optometrists (OAO), Eye See…Eye Learn® Program
Children are eligible for a free eye exam and free glasses from July 1 (before they start Junior Kindergarten) until the end of Junior Kindergarten.
EarlyON Child and Family Centres are places where parents and caregivers can:
- Access programs and activities with their children 0-6 years
- Ask parenting questions of early years professionals and get information on programs and services available
- Talk to other parents and caregivers.
- Leeds and Grenville EarlyON Child and Family Centre
- Lanark EarlyON Child and Family Centre
Lanark County Libraries and Leeds Grenville Libraries
Every Kid in Our Communities of Leeds and Grenville
- Every Kid in Our Communities of Leeds and Grenville generates positive change for children and their families by bringing together key players from our communities, including those who may not have previously engaged due to perceived agency or professional boundaries.
Triple P Parenting Program – Triple P is a parenting program, but it doesn’t tell you how to be a parent. It’s more like a toolbox of ideas. You choose the strategies you need.

LanarkKids.ca
Ontario Association of Optometrists (OAO), Eye See…Eye Learn® Program
Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services
The College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of Ontario (CASLPO)
The Hanen Centre
- The Hanen Centre is dedicated to addressing delays in language development in young children, including children with developmental delays and autism.
Leeds, Lanark and Grenville District Health Unit
Ontario Association for Families of Children with Communication Disorders provides support and information for families with children who have communication disorders.
Call 2-1-1 24/7 | Free | Confidential | Live answer | 150+ languages, Life is 24/7. Help starts here…
- 211 is an award-winning 3-digit phone service helping you connect to the complete range of government and community-based health and social services available in your community. Calls are answered 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, by professional information and referral specialists who are trained to assess caller needs, and to refer callers to the most appropriate services.
Triple P Parenting Program – Triple P is a parenting program, but it doesn’t tell you how to be a parent. It’s more like a toolbox of ideas. You choose the strategies you need.

Community Resource Guides

Triple P Parenting Program – Triple P is a parenting program, but it doesn’t tell you how to be a parent. It’s more like a toolbox of ideas. You choose the strategies you need.

The Canadian Pediatric Society recommends families follow the four “M”s when it comes to screen time and young children:

Minimize screen time

Screen time for children under 2 is not recommended. For two- to five-year-old children, limit routine screen time to less than one hour a day. Maintain daily screen-free time, especially at meals and at least an hour before bedtime.

Mitigate the risks associated with screen time

Be present and engaged when screens are used and, whenever possible, co-view with children. Be aware of digital content, prioritizing educational, age-appropriate, interactive content.

Be mindful about the use of screen time

Conduct a self-assessment of screen habits and develop a family media plan for when, where and how screens may (and may not) be used and be reassured there is no evidence to support introducing technology at a young age.

Model healthy screen time

Adults should turn off their devices at home during family time, turn off screens when not in use and avoid background TV.

Read the full position statement.

Limit TV, Computer and All Electronic Devices
ScreenSmart.ca
- This website gives parents research-based information on how ‘screen time’ affects the lives of children at various ages and stages of their development – the Early Years, Screens and Health, School Success, and Internet Safety. Each page provides recommendations from doctors, educators, and child development experts on how best to manage ‘screen time’ at home, and suggests other things that you and your children can do in our community.
Participaction, Check out these resources from Participaction that will help your family unplug and play.
The Impact of Screen Time on Language Development – This webinar from the Ottawa preschool speech and language program explains why too much screen time can be harmful and provides strategies for managing screen time as well as ideas for what to do instead.
Helpful newsletters
- Issue 23 – Young Children and Screen Time: What is Healthy and What is Not?

2 and a half and Under

2 and a half and Over

Getting Ready for Kindergarten

Ready for Kindergarten Checklist

All Ages

1-888-503-8885 or 613-283-2742