” and a “p” sound.Reading to your child is perhaps the most beneficial step parents can take in promoting language and literacy. The quality and quantity of words children learn is highly dependent on the quantity and quality of words they hear. Sitting

Whiteleys Christmas GrottoNovember 17–December 24In support of the National Literacy Trust’s Young Readers Programme, The jolly Santa Claus in Whiteleys in Bayswater will be giving away age-appropriate books to every child who visits him in his cosy

.Never force food upon your child. Children naturally regulate their own eating, so don't let it become a battleground. Encourage media literacy by talking about the images you see in magazines and on TV, and thinking about what each one is trying to promote

understanding of stories and can improve reading and language skills. In short, a little gender bending could actually help close the literacy gap between girls and boys. But toddlers are not driven by lessons in empathy or developmental goals. So why do they do

1 The Very Hungry Caterpillarby Eric Carle (Puffin, £5.99)Not many children’s books achieve worldwide sales that would humble a U2 album, but Eric Carle’s classic picture book about a caterpillar munching his way to becoming a beautiful butterfly has sold 22 millio...