When you read to your child, it helps develop an attention span – a necessity in this fast-paced, multi-tasking world. Sitting quietly and listening to a good story creates the ability to focus and engages the mind. By developing your child’s attention span, he/she will have the ability to see that a story has a beginning, middle and end. Understanding this “big picture” makes learning to read on his/her own so much easier.
While reading to your child, let him/her help turn the pages and follow along with the words (remember your mom using her index figure to underline the words as she read to you). You need to know which direction the words and pages go in order for a story to make sense. These are important pre-literacy skills which lead to word recognition, the first step to reading.
Along with providing a foundation for life-long learning, reading to your child offers a host of benefits for both of you. Storytime opens a child’s mind to adventures and expands the imagination. Reading provides a way for your child to experience emotions (such as sympathy for a character) and learn how to respond to those feelings. You can use reading time as an opportunity to instill your family’s values. And who doesn’t love a good bedtime story? Reading in the evening is a relaxing way to build a nighttime routine and provides a special bond between you and your child.
Your local public library is a treasure chest of children’s board books and easy readers. Families of all ages are welcome and many libraries offer story times for infants, toddlers and preschoolers. These reading groups are also a terrific way for your child to develop social skills – another necessary ingredient for success in life.
Reading is a gift that comes to us in wonderful ways. A friend recently told me about the times she read to her daughter when she was sick and how it seemed to comfort her child. Years later during an illness, my friend’s daughter returned the favor by sitting at her mom’s bedside and reading to her. When my friend asked her daughter why she wanted to read to her, she replied, “It made me feel better just to hear you read, so I thought it might help you too.”
Cindie Reinhold, a self-titled “voracious reader” is a former journalist and editor who now works for Campbell County Public Libraries in Central Virginia.
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