Raising A Reader From Birth
Every parent has heard the exhortation to read to their child. Our house is full of books and we incorporate book reading all throughout our day: while we're eating, before naps and bedtime, upon waking from naps and bedtime, story times at the library, reading outside in the play house, and so on.
School Library Journal posted an article last July about brain development in young children and how it relates to reading. "Children start learning to read the day they're born. That's because reading is part of language development, and children begin learning language when they're infants." Reading is not something that happens one day when your child is 5 years old; it's something that's been happening since the day they were born a little at a time.
My son just turned one a few weeks ago, and though he doesn't seem to have an interest in sitting still for books yet, it's something that we're working on. I want him to have a love for reading like my 3 year old does, and much of this stems from the kind of environment I create for him surrounding books. Reading must be fun and children must develop a love of books in their early years if they are to become skilled readers.
Check out your local library for story times to help you in gathering ideas on how to make reading and language development fun. I recently attended a Mother Goose story time for my one year old, and the time was filled with stories, talking, singing, playing and nursery rhymes, all of which help to develop language. "Nursery rhymes help children learn about oral language, and rhyming books and songs encourage children to explore how sound works in language (School Library Journal, July 2010)."
The human brain is a fascinating pathway full of connections. If your child requests the same nursery rhyme over and over again, that's good news! Repetition helps the developing brain know which connections to strengthen. It is how a developing mind grows!
Whether you're at home, in the car, getting the kids ready for bed, or heading to the library, sing songs, recite nursery rhymes, read aloud and talk! Language is all around you, and these are simple ways to sow into your little ones a love for reading!