Hey, all, welcome back to the Don't Mom Alone podcast.

I'm your host, Heather McFaddean, and this is the place where I get to walk alongside you

and connect you with people and resources so you know that you don't mom alone.

And in this episode number 527, I'm welcoming to the show, Maya Smart.

That oral language foundations, that was one of the biggest things that I didn't understand

as a parent, that kids need so much language nutrition to flourish as learners.

And so it's not just about phonics, although that's critically important for a time whenever

your school or your homeschool gets into that, depending on their situation.

It's critically important.

It shouldn't last forever if we know how to do it right.

But the building vocabulary, the talking, the back and forth exchanges,

that's forever as a parent. Maya is a mom. She's also a former journalist turned literacy advocate,

and she's the author of the new book, Reading for Our Lives, a literacy action plan from birth to six. And her goal is to raise a nation of readers

and parents and caregivers and give tips and tools to help you in your daily life with

young kids. I feel like she gives a very, very practical acronym that's in the title of this episode

that will hopefully stick with you if you have kids in that age from birth to six

and that you can stay connected with Maya and gain more information and tips from her

when it comes to helping your kids learn to read.

So let's get right to it.

Here we go.

Maya, welcome to the Don't Mom Alone podcast.

Thank you so much for having me.

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