Reading is one of the most important aspects helping children learn. As parents it is important to set aside at least fifteen minutes of reading tie each day. It is said that if every parent would read to their child at least three stories a day, an entire generation could be set free from illiteracy.
Some might consider this statement as being over the top, but it’s something all child care providers strongly believe in. Most people might wonder if infants actually benefit from having their parents read out aloud to them. However, experts are quick to point out that reading out aloud benefits children of all ages.
When a child is born only twenty five percent of the brain development takes place in the womb. The rest is a rapid brain growth in the first year of life. This is a crucial time period in your child’s life. It’s a time when having conversations and showing picture books would help develop our child’s cognitive ability a great deal.
Reading to your child
Keep the following things in mind when reading to your child.
- Keep aside a set time for reading. Reading helps relax the mind and thus induces a feeling of calmness. Most parents prefer reading to their child ten or fifteen minutes to their bed time. It can also be started as a nap time activity.
- Make sure to turn it into a habit. This means diligently making sure that you read to your child every day. You could read anything you want but keep in mind that younger children prefer picture reading. The aim is to instill a love of reading in the child. Picture reading helps the child to form words in their brain and is a great preparatory exercise for further reading.
- Reading greatly enhances a child’s cognitive ability. Children who read excel in school. When compared to children who don’t read, children with a reading habit are academically stronger and more confident.
- Most parents fear teaching reading too their child. They believe they need to teach the child the letter and the sounds which accompany these letters. Now what needs to be kept in mind is that simply reading out loud to children from a young age inculcates a reading habit in the child. The child can easily guess the word. As their ability gets better children can decipher difficult words with ease as well.
- When reading to your child choose books which you both enjoy. This is because the more animation and excitement in your voice, the better the child would be able to comprehend the book. Children love sound effects and the colorful visuals. These open up their imagination and in turn help cultivate creativity from an early age.
- If your older child is facing difficulty reading a particular word, instead of having the sound it out, just tell them what it I and move on. This helps lessen learning anxiety. Eventually the child would learn to read at their own pace.
The childcare providers at day care Cranbourne suggest using all the above mentioned ideas to help your child become an avid reader.