Literacy Skills, Social Emotional . By Maya Smart | April 13 , 2026

The Parenting Superpower that Helps Your Child Succeed in Reading & Life

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 . By Maya Smart | April 27 , 2026

3 Tips for Reading to Your Newborn (and Yes, You Should Read from Day One)

You can and should read to your newborn—for a few minutes at a time. Here’s how to make baby story time a success and build

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Literacy Skills, Early Language, Letters & Sounds, Print Awareness . By Maya Smart | May 04 , 2026

Building on Bedtime Stories: 3 Easy Habits to Shift Your Child from Listening to Literacy

Build your child’s brain and literacy by adding 60 seconds of print awareness and sound learning to your daily story routine.

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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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