February: Bad weather? Grab a good book!

THE IMPORTANCE OF READING TO YOUR CHILDREN

The experts say that if parents were to read to their preschoolers for just 15 minutes a day, it would lead to the largest revolution in education of the past fifty years.

Parents need to set aside time for their children and show a real interest in their reading. If you are willing to invest a little time and interest in your children, pick up a book and begin reading it to them. You will never regret you did.

WHY READ TO THEM?

During their first years, children learn chiefly through imitation. It is through imitation that children learn to say their first words; by age two, their vocabulary encompasses roughly 300 words, an amount that triples in a year and grows to a total of 2,100 words by the time they turn five. Nevertheless, many parents don’t realize the important role they play as role models in their children’s language development. If you read to your children from an early age, you will help them develop a love of reading and of books by sheer example. What better way can you contribute to your child’s educational development? Research shows that 50% of a child’s intelligence has been developed by the age of four. At this age, the child’s ability to imitate has reached its peaked.

Children’s literature sparks youngsters’ imaginations, feelings, and emotions. It creates a desire to read in children, expanding their perception of the world around them as well as their sensitivity. Good literature makes children goal-oriented and helps them in the creation of their individuality.

AT WHAT AGE SHOULD YOU START READING TO YOUR CHILDREN?

Some parents begin reading to their children when they are six months old. Why? Because this way the children become familiarized with their voices as they develop a love of books, even though they don’t understand what they are hearing. It has been proven that babies associate being read to with moments of peace and security. Some professionals suggest that reading to children should be the first lullaby they hear. As children grow older, they begin to identify being read to as a calming, non-threatening sound which they associate with love, attention, and favorable images.

WHAT TO READ?

Start with rhymes or story books with a lot of illustrations that will attract and hold a child’s attention.

Choose high-quality literature that has lasting appeal. If you like a book, it is almost certain that your child will like it, too. A book that can be enjoyed at age 10 as well as age 50 is worthwhile. All other books are passing fancies that will have little impact on your child’s educational development.

FIRST STEPS

• Start reading to your children as soon as possible.
• If you have more than one child, try to read to each one individually.
• Read to your children as often as possible.
• Try to establish a routine by reading to them at the same time everyday; just before bedtime is preferable.
• Don’t stop in the middle. If a book is very long, read a chapter or a set number of pages every night until you finish.
• Use inflections when you read. If possible, be animated when you read dialogue.
• Try to adjust the rhythm of your reading to fit the action: during an emotional moment, read slower to create suspense and make children more interested in the story.
• Impatient or hyperactive children find it difficult to sit and listen. Provide them with paper, pencils, and crayons that they can play with while they listen.
• Take a book with you every time you go out; it can prove quite useful when you’re stuck in a doctor’s waiting room, on a long trip, etc.
• It is recommended that the job of reading to children not be relegated to mothers, especially when you consider that 90% of elementary school teachers are women. Children need to associate books with their fathers, the person they do not normally link with school, homework, discipline, etc.