Literacy Skills, Early Language . By Maya Smart | March 23 , 2026

A Pediatric Literacy Screening Tool Is Making Rounds—What Parents Need to Know

A hospital screens three-year-olds for literacy. But media coverage misses key information: the specifics that can help parents

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Literacy Skills, Early Language, Letters & Sounds, Spelling, Parent-School Partnership . By Maya Smart | March 17 , 2026

Why Phonics Instruction Matters—and How to Know if Your Child is Getting It

Why some kids reach middle school unable to read—and how parents can tell if schools are teaching phonics while there’s still

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Parent-School Partnership, Library & Literacy Advocacy . By Maya Smart | February 23 , 2026

What Is Reading? The Simple View That Makes it Easy for Parents to Teach Literacy

Choosing a preschool or childcare for your child? Use this guide from national literacy thought leader Maya Payne Smart to make

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Parent-School Partnership, Library & Literacy Advocacy . By Maya Smart | February 12 , 2024

How to Choose a Preschool or Childcare for Your Child

Choosing a preschool or childcare for your child? Use this guide from national literacy thought leader Maya Payne Smart to make

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Parent-School Partnership, Community, Library & Literacy Advocacy . By Maya Smart | December 23 , 2024

I’ve Had a Fantastic Year Promoting Literacy for All. Who’ll Join My 2025 Plans?

Parenting author and literacy expert Maya Payne Smart shares exciting plans for 2025, plus literacy for all successes in

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Literacy Skills, Early Language . By Maya Smart | July 15 , 2024

How Your Words Drive Your Baby’s Brain Development & Prepare Them to Read

Parents literally build babies’ & toddlers’ brains through interactive conversation. Parenting author & literacy expert Maya

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Parent-School Partnership, Community, Library & Literacy Advocacy . By Maya Smart | February 10 , 2025

5 Things Parents Need to Know About the 2024 NAEP Reading Scores Crisis

What do the 2024 NAEP national reading scores mean for your child? Get key takeaways and action steps for

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Library & Literacy Advocacy . By Maya Smart | January 06 , 2025

Literacy Champion Offers a Case Study in How to Be an Advocate (Hint: Lead With Curiosity)

Attorney Kevin Long didn’t set out to become a literacy advocate. But thoughtful curiosity drove him to become a catalyst for

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Language Milestones & Literacy Targets for Babies

Discover what your baby should learn & do to grow into a thriving reader, and how to use milestones to support their

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Early Language, Parent-School Partnership . By Maya Smart | January 13 , 2025

Language Milestones & Literacy Targets for Kindergarten and Early Elementary

Discover what your child should learn & do to grow into a thriving reader, and how to use milestones to support their progress in

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