Critical pre-literacy skills are developed long before elementary school — through play and interactive conversations with caregivers at home. Free early-literacy apps from the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) are made for parents and caregivers to use with their children to encourage fun and rewarding interactions and promote dialogue — giving children the foundations they need to read, learn, and thrive.

Welcome to Small Wonders! Just by talking with your little one — and helping them talk with you — you can get them ready to read and ready to learn about the world. This app is specially designed for you and your child to use together, talking and laughing about everyday objects and interactions as you play. Its games, songs, and activity ideas can be the start of many back-and-forth conversations, which are ideal for preparing children to read. The app also has tips to help you build your child’s language skills when you’re not using the app — during everyday activities like going shopping, running errands, or walking to the playground. Small Wonders will give you plenty to talk about all day!

Small Wonders is a product of the Reach Every Reader initiative at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, in collaboration with public media producer GBH. Check out HGSE’s related apps, Photo Play and Animal Antics — equally fun, and equally ready to spark conversation and lay the foundations for reading!

To learn more and download all three HGSE apps, and for information about privacy and updates, visit http://hgse.me/apps.