Reading to Kids (Even Babies)
November 13, 2008 by Angela
Filed under Moms In A Book Club
I have always read to my children. From the time they were infants to present day, I have always read stories to my kids. Now that they are older and they are huge fans of the library, I can see that my love of books has been installed into their juvenile hard drives. I’ve always known on some level deep inside that there were tremendous intelligence benefits to this activity. Now, I’m learning why this has been an invaluable activity over the years.
I did some surfing this morning and came across the Child Literacy Centre. This site is a great resource, packed full of information on the benefits of reading to your kids, tips on how to help your kids improve their reading abilities, and common reading problems and what to look out for.
Specifically, I found a page about reading to babies. This site outlines a number of reasons that you should read to your kids starting at the earliest possible age. From the site:
- It gives experience of different types of language, rhythms and sounds
- Research shows that pre-school children who are exposed to plenty of language (books and conversation) tend to do better at school
- It teaches about many topics which wouldn’t come up in conversation
- It is a wonderful way to bond with your child
- It is very calming
That last part is really enticing, isn’t it? I have found that if my kids and I sit down right before bedtime and read a few stories, then they go to bed a lot easier. Their bodies and brains have calmed down, thereby making sleep and sweet dreams much easier to come by.
Do you read to your kids? What age did you start? What types of books do you read to them? Tell us all about it!
More From Angela
