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Talk to your child about what they are doing and what they see.
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Read frequently to your child, pointing to words and pictures as you read.
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Talk to your child and name people, objects, and events in their daily environment.
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Respond to your child’s questions.
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Provide a variety of materials to encourage your child to draw and scribble.
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Play rhyming games, sing songs, and say nursery rhymes.
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Talk about books and events before, during, and after they occur.
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Make trips to your local library and encourage your child to pick out books.
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Bring your child’s attention to what you are reading (i.e. a recipe, directions, game rules, newspaper comics).
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Read books that contains rhymes, and catchy phrases and sounds.
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Ask your child questions while reading a book (i.e. about what has happened or what might happen next).
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Read different types of books.
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Bring your child’s attention to what you are writing (i.e. greeting cards, invitations, grocery lists, emails).
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Encourage your child to tell you about a drawing and have them write down their words.
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Talk with your child about how things are similar and different.
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When listening to music remember not to listen to too loud music or for too long.
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Limit your time exposed to noisy activities.
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When at home, turn the volume down on the radio, tv, and stereo.
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Wear ear muffs or plugs when using loud equipment (i.e. lawn mower, leaf blower, power saw).
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Purchase quieter products (with a smaller dB rating).
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Avoid medicines that can affect your hearing.
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Reduce the number of noisy machines in your home running at the same time.
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If you are in an at-risk job, check with your employer to make sure you are protecting your hearing adequately, according to OSHA standards.

:
Brennan, M., MS, CCC-SLP and Owre, DeAnne, MS, CCC-CLP. n.d. Literacy and Communication:
Expectations From Kindergarten Through Fifth Grade. Rockville, Maryland: ASHA.
Roth, F., Ph. D, CCC-SLP. n.d. Getting Ready for Reading and Writing. Rockville, Maryland: ASHA.
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. n.d. Noise: Bad for Your Hearing…Bad for Your Health!
Rockville, Maryland: ASHA.
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. n.d. How Does Your Child Hear and Talk? Rockville,
Maryland: ASHA.
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. n.d. Listen to Your Buds! Rockville, Maryland: ASHA.
Center for Disease Control and Prevention. October 2010. Just In Time for Families: Early Hearing
Detection and Intervention (EHDI). N.P. n.p.