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A Reading Routine: Build Language Skills and a Lifetime Love of Books!

There’s a simple activity you can engage in with your child, every day, that will stimulate his visual and auditory development, build his vocabulary, and introduce him to a world of colors, shapes, numbers, letters, animals, and landscapes. Reading with your child is a practice you can begin as early as his newborn days, and it can become a ritual that will instill a lifelong love for books and reading.

 

According to studies conducted by researchers at Purdue University, when parents read with their children regularly, at the age of four months, there is a positive correlation with children and parents establishing a reading habit that extends to eight months of age. And at eight months, a regular reading ritual is linked to greater expressive language capabilities at 12 and 16 months of age. Reading to your little ones early, even before they can understand your words, is a great predictor of later language skills. Researchers believe that reading with your infant improves these skills due to the fact that children’s books use more sophisticated vocabulary and sentence structure than the cooing many parents bestow open their babies throughout the day! Plus, pointing to images, colors and numbers, and identifying those using new words, begins a practice of identifying these objects and linking them to language.

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And in addition to the building of language skills, reading together allows you to start conversations with your children as they begin to learn to speak and ask questions. They may ask you about the various animals they see on the page. They might begin to identify favorite colors. And as they grow, they’ll ask you about the dilemmas and circumstances unfolding on the page, allowing you to have conversations about emotions, actions, and right versus wrong. And the biggest bonus of all is the long-term practice that nightly reading will instill in your child. As she begins to read sentences, and then longer books, she’ll think of reading as a daily activity, and books as objects to be collected and treasured.

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You can begin the practice of reading to your children regularly at any point. In fact, you can start when they are newborns, and make a nightly ritual of it. Your baby may not understand the story you’re reading to him, but he’ll be stimulated by the sound of your voice. And kids of any age will easily associate reading with bonding and cuddling, which will make this nightly routine something they will look forward to as they grow.

 

You can prepare to make reading a regular part of your child’s routine by waiting until the house is quiet, the chores are done, and your child is fed and bathed and comfortable in his room with his pajamas on. An important part of this routine will be choosing books that will interest your little one. Babies under one year of age will do better with board books which will withstand chewing and grabbing. Bright, contrasting colors and simple stories with opportunities for new and interesting noises are key. As your child grows older, choose stories with familiar objects such as animals, trains, cars, trees, and household items. Repetition is important here. Any story which allows you to repeat phrases again and again will delight your child. And as your child grows from a toddler into a pre-school child, he’ll start to have specific preferences. Some children will enjoy books about cities, trains, and buses. Others will love animal stories. Still others will prefer to learn about other children and their adventures. Choosing books at the store can be a fun activity for you and your child at this age.

 

You’ll notice that your reading time will change as your child gets older. As a newborn, she may simply snuggle with you and respond to your voice with smiles. After about eight months of age, she may want to hold the book, and will be able to mimic some of the sounds you make. One year-olds will want to turn pages occasionally, and may respond with laughter to changes in inflection, pitch, and tone. And by two years of age, you’ll find that your child will demand the same favorite stories again and again, and will identify their favorite characters, ask questions about what’s happening on the page, and even finish sentences they know well.

 

Whatever the age of your child, begin a practice of nightly reading today, and watch your little one become engrossed in stories, pictures, and the sound of your voice. Reading nightly is a great way to wind down before bed, bond with your little one, and develop the language and listening skills that will prepare him for school and for a life filled with a love of literature and reading.

 

Child’s World Academy has locations in Peekskill, NY,  Monroe, CT,  and Trumbull, CT. You can learn more by going to www.ChildsWorldAcademy.com

 

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