Small Talk, Big Results - a Birth to Three Reading Initiative

Shela Blankinship
Early Childhood Coordinator

The St. Vrain Valley Schools Small Talk program is a community initiatives designed to build language awareness and reinforce reading success for our youngest learners. Designed for children from birth to age three, the program emphasizes the importance of:

Frequently using more positive than negative words and comments
Think about the balance of positive to negative words and comments on a daily basis to reinforce and promote self-confidence.

What you say and how often you say it matters
To enrich vocabulary and language, use full sentences, descriptions and questions when talking. Encourage attention to an infant and toddler’s personal world as well as the world around them.

Face to face conversations cannot be replaced
Incorporate listening and speaking directly to infants and toddlers. Include talking in your native language and limit the role of technology as a replacement for face-to-face conversations.

Talking, singing, reading, writing and playing develop language
Be creative when deciding ways to interact.