Whether your child thinks reading is fun or not, here are some sobering facts that may encourage you to keep reading!
It’s a fact: Children who are read to in the home have a substantial advantage over those who are not.
Here are some more facts:
- The greatest amount of brain growth occurs between birth and five years of age.
- Reading aloud to young children is not only one of the best activities to stimulate language and cognitive skills; it also builds motivation, curiosity, and memory.
- Children’s academic successes at ages 9 and 10 can be attributed to the amount of talk they hear from birth through age 3.
- The single most significant factor influencing a child’s early educational success is an introduction to books and being read to at home prior to beginning school.
This time is critical in helping your child build a strong foundation for future learning. Being read to and interacting as they read will increase your child’s exposure to language, shapes, colors, and social conventions. Books that have textures, pop-outs, and flaps increase dexterity and tactile learning. They also help ensure that reading is fun for little ones.
Make reading part of your daily routine. Set aside some time in your day to sit with your child and read to them. Research shows that including books in your interactions with your infant will expose them to more words and more language – and the more words they are exposed to before age three, the more success they have in school. Plus, as babies get older, you can hand them a book in the grocery store or in the car to help keep them entertained (a much healthier option that an electronic device).
Make sure your child knows that reading is fun. Increase their confidence and their opportunity for success by reading with them during these critical years.
