Parents and caregivers can sign up to receive   text messages from Willard Library offering simple activities to improve their children’s literacy.

The statewide service, called TALK (Text and Learn for Kindergarten), sends two text messages a week suggesting activities that parents and caregivers can easily incorporate into daily routines with their children.

Parents may sign up by texting TALK to 75547 or visiting texttolearn.com. The texts are available in English or Spanish.

Each message begins with one of the five early literacy practices and details an activity parents can use to help their child develop early literacy skills, which are reading, singing, talking, writing, and playing.

The texts go beyond literacy and help parents build other important skills such as premath and social emotional skills.

The more parents and caregivers talk and listen to young children, the easier it is for them to learn to read and write when they start kindergarten.

This is because simple activities such as singing and playing every day help kids develop the cognitive and language skills they need to do well in school.

In addition, the service notifies parents of free activities and services at Willard Library.

TALK is available to parents and caregivers in Michigan with children ages 5 years and younger.