By Carol Church, Writer, Family Album

Reviewed by Suzanna Smith, PhD, Department of Family, Youth, and Community Sciences, University of Florida

What’s your favorite picture book? If you’re like me, it’s almost impossible to pick just one. But if I really had to, I might go with Where the Wild Things Are. I love the poetry of the language, the funny but slightly scary monsters, and the way the boy returns to the safety of home at the end.

I received this book as a baby gift, and I often like to give books as baby shower presents myself. To some, newborns and young babies might seem a bit too young for reading aloud. But even if they don’t appear to be tuning in to the books just yet, babies thrive on the one-on-one, face-to-face interaction they get when parents read to them. What’s more, they’re receiving important language stimulation that wakes up their young minds.

In fact, study after study confirms that reading aloud, even to babies, provides all kinds of important benefits. Children who are read to when they’re very young start preschool with better language skills, and show more interest in books. And when children are read to, they hear richer, more interesting words and language, which builds their linguistic abilities.

This early start matters. Research shows that the literacy skills children have when they begin kindergarten predict school success years down the road. And children’s reading abilities in third grade strongly predict their chances of graduating from high school. Unfortunately, the majority of today’s third-graders aren’t able to read well.

Research reveals that American parents from all walks of life could do better when it comes to the read-aloud habit. A recent large survey found that only slightly less than half of parents of children ages newborn to 5 read aloud to their children daily. While lower-income and less educated parents had a harder time meeting this goal, more privileged parents often didn’t find the time either. Many experts fear that screentime is crowding out book reading time for children across the economic spectrum.

With all this in mind, the respected American Academy of Pediatrics is now placing new emphasis on the key importance of reading to children—from birth. They’ll also be working with nonprofit groups to help distribute free books to low-income children at well-child doctor visits. This simple step that can make a world of difference.

Reading to your babies, toddlers, and children builds social and emotional bonds along with language and pre-reading skills. It’s also a fun, relaxing way to spend time together, and to build treasured memories. Don’t neglect this simple, enjoyable, but powerful part of your family’s day. For more on the value of reading with children and suggestions about how to integrate reading aloud into your family life, visit Reading Aloud at Reading is Fundamental and Read Aloud 15 Minutes.

Further Reading

Reading Aloud with Children of All Ages

Reading, Literacy, and Your Child

The Power of Storybooks–Even Without Words

(Photo credit: DSC_4910 by J Jongsma. CC BY 2.0. Cropped.)

References:

Council on Early Childhood. (2014). Literacy promotion: An essential component of primary care pediatric practice. Pediatrics. Advance online publication. http://dx.doi.org/10.1542/peds.2014-1384

Data Research Center for Child and Adolescent Health. (2012). 2011/12 National Survey of Children’s Health. Retrieved from http://www. childhealthdata.org/browse/survey/results?q=2284&r=1&g=458

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