Reading has been part of development for as long as we can remember. Whether conscious of it or not, we are constantly reading throughout our day; reading signs, numbers, emails, messages\u2026 it\u2019s a skill that becomes second nature to us and seems as though we\u2019ve always known how. But we all started somewhere, and there are countless benefits to regularly reading aloud with your children as early as possible, with a goal of 2-3 books per day.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s why.<\/p>\n
Emergent literacy skills begin developing early in children when they start to recognise things like the letters in the alphabet, the structure and flow of books and how they\u2019re read, and the ability to recognise and make the sounds of different words and begin to understand the meaning attached to them.<\/p>\n
Regular reading time gives them lots of exposure to different sounds, voices, inflections and helps them to absorb these experiences and begin to understand and develop their literacy skills in preparation for school.<\/p>\n
Giving children an interesting story and book to focus on helps them develop important concentration skills they will need when they start their education journey. Although \u2018sitting still\u2019 might not be used in the same sentence as \u2018toddler\u2019 very often, it\u2019s a great idea to routinely give them the experience of reading a story with you to reinforce the importance of concentrating and stimulating the brain.<\/p>\n
When children begin to understand the words being read to them, they can start to paint a picture of the stories in their minds as they listen to different scenes and mentally attach images to them. Reading different stories with characters experiencing hardship or sad emotions can also help children to identify with the characters in the book and become empathetic towards them.<\/p>\n
The closeness that comes with reading your little one a story is very special. Taking the time out of an often busy and hectic schedule to routinely read and enjoy a story with each other is a great way of bonding with your children and can be something to look forward to every night.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s also a great way of discovering your child\u2019s interests or building on them by reading and showing them books about the things they\u2019ve shown interest in such as cars, fairies, animals\u2026 anything they love!<\/p>\n
There\u2019s lots of coordination and complex tasks in learning to read, and it can be hard for your child to take everything in at once. There are a few helpful things you can do to make story time more engaging while also helping them to develop the fundamentals of reading:<\/p>\n
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Reading has been part of development for as long as we can remember. Whether conscious of it or not, we are constantly reading throughout our day; reading signs, numbers, emails, messages\u2026 it\u2019s a skill that becomes second nature to us and seems as though we\u2019ve always known how. But we all started somewhere, and there…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":300,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,16],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n