Children’s brains grow strong when you help them stretch their learning further. Keep a moment going: ask your child a question that starts with what, when, where, how, or why!


Stretch - Brain Building Basic

Stretch

Children’s brains light up when you talk, sing, or make sounds back and forth with them. So chat about your day, food, and what’s around you, or string sounds together for a fun conversation!


Chat Brain Building Basic

Chat

Children use their eyes to learn. See what catches your child’s eye and talk about it. Or connect eye-to-eye, then smile, chat, hug, or make funny faces!

Look - Brain Building Basic

Look

Young children learn best when you follow their lead. Tune into your child’s words, sounds, ideas, and movements! Then respond with your own words and actions.

Follow - Brain Building Basic

Follow

Children learn from taking turns when you play, talk, or explore. After they go, take your turn. Then repeat: they go, you go, they go, you go!  

Take Turns - Brain Building Basic

Take Turns

Professor of Management Practice, University of Louisville

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Dr. Nat Irvin II

Senior Advisor, Buffet Early Childhood Fund

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Dr. Joan Lombardi

Professor of Medical Psychology in the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center

Dr. Catherine Monk

Director, Center for Early Childhood Health & Development, NYU Langone

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Dr. Laurie Brotman

Katherine E. Smith Endowed Professor in Child Development, Oregon State University

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Dr. Megan McClelland

Co-Director, Institute of Learning & Brain Science, University of Washington

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Dr. Pat Kuhl

Director, Infant and Child Laboratory, Temple University

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Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek

Director, Human Developmental Psychobiology Lab, University of Minnesota

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Dr. Megan Gunnar

Professor of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley

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Dr. Alison Gopnik

Director, Language Learning Lab, Stanford University

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Dr. Anne Fernald

Tier 1 Canada Research Chair, Professor of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, University of British Columbia

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Dr. Adele Diamond

Willner Family Professor Psychology and Public Policy, and University Professor, New York University

Dr. Larry Aber

Professor of Cognitive Psychology, NYU Steinhardt

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Dr. Clancy Blair

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Geoff Canada

President and Founder of the Children’s Defense Fund 

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Marian Wright Edelman

Chief Science Officer, Bezos Family Foundation & Executive Director, Mind in the Making

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Ellen Galinsky

Executive Director, Joan Ganz Cooney Center 

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Dr. Michael H. Levine

Director, Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University

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Dr. Jack Shonkoff

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Dr. Andy Meltzoff

Nancy M. and John E. Lindahl Professor at the Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota 

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Dr. Philip Zelazo

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Life Skills that Promote Executive Function

Diamond, Adele. “Why Improving and Assessing Executive Functions Early in Life Is Critical.” Executive Function in Preschool-Age Children: Integrating Measurement, Neurodevelopment, and Translational Research., pp. 11–43.

Blair, Clancy, et al. “Two Approaches to Estimating the Effect of Parenting on the Development of Executive Function in Early Childhood.” Developmental Psychology, vol. 50, no. 2, 2014, pp. 554–565.

Allan, Nicholas P., et al. “Relations between Inhibitory Control and the Development of Academic Skills in Preschool and Kindergarten: A Meta-Analysis.” Developmental Psychology, vol. 50, no. 10, 2014, pp. 2368–2379.

Best, John R., et al. “Relations between Executive Function and Academic Achievement from Ages 5 to 17 in a Large, Representative National Sample.” Learning and Individual Differences, vol. 21, no. 4, 2011, pp. 327–336.

Positive Adult-Child Relationships

Groh, Ashley M., et al. “Attachment in the Early Life Course: Meta-Analytic Evidence for Its Role in Socioemotional Development.” Child Development Perspectives, vol. 11, no. 1, 2016, pp. 70–76.

Brotman, Laurie Miller, et al. “Effects of ParentCorps in Prekindergarten on Child Mental Health and Academic Performance.” JAMA Pediatrics, vol. 170, no. 12, Jan. 2016, p. 1149.

Bindman, Samantha W., et al. “Do Children's Executive Functions Account for Associations between Early Autonomy-Supportive Parenting and Achievement through High School?” Journal of Educational Psychology, vol. 107, no. 3, 2015, pp. 756–770.

Back and Forth Interactions

Weisleder, Adriana, and Anne Fernald. “Talking to Children Matters.” Psychological Science, vol. 24, no. 11, Oct. 2013, pp. 2143–2152.

Brooks, Rechele, and Andrew N. Meltzoff. “Connecting the Dots from Infancy to Childhood: A Longitudinal Study Connecting Gaze Following, Language, and Explicit Theory of Mind.” Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, vol. 130, 2015, pp. 67–78.

Ramãrez-Esparza, Nairán, et al. “Look Who's Talking NOW! Parentese Speech, Social Context, and Language Development Across Time.” Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 8, 2017

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The time you spend with your child can help their brain grow strong. Even a few minutes count! This PDF has a few brain-building activities for children ages 0-5.

Try a Vroom Tip!

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Vroom is a global program of the Bezos Family Foundation. We believe all parents have the potential to create a bright future for their children.   Our free, science-based tips and tools help parents and caregivers give children a great start in life today—and an even better future.

Your child’s brain grows the fastest from birth through age 5! Helping them learn now gets them ready for school, friends, and life. 

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Use the science of early learning to help your child thrive.

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Use the Vroom app on your phone or computer.

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Vroom by Text™ sends customized tips for your child from our virtual coach, Jesse.

Brain-building is easy, even when your hands are full, with the Vroom Alexa skill.

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Put a Vroom Tip in your bag, near your diapers or on the fridge! (And print an extra to share with a friend!)

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Help children 5 and under learn and develop! Show parents how they can use our fast, free Vroom tips to nurture their child’s learning and become brain-building heroes.

Why brain building with your child matters so much

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