-play rhyming, quality children's music (e.g., Raffi) that use rhyme, play on words, and rhythm in songs
-expose children to nursery rhymes by playing them in the car (knowledge of nursery rhymes has been proven to be an indicator of reading success later on in life)
-encourage children to learn the names of letters and their corresponding sounds by playing CDs that emphasize these
-simple recorded stories can be borrowed from the library and played. By not seeing a corresponding picture, children are free to use their imaginations to illustrate the text
-play sound games with children. Stretch out words by emphasizing their individual sounds and encourage children to guess what the word it (e.g., c-a-t is cat)
-play I spy but use sounds (e.g., I spy something that begins with an 'a' sound)
-engage your children in conversation in the car. Encourage them to describe their day by prompting them with higher-level questioning such as who, what, why, where, when, and how questions. Avoid yes/no responses that limit children's explanation