Reading is not just for school-age children! As part of a fun routine, reading together promotes positive associations that help turn kids into lifelong book lovers. And the benefits of storytime are enormous at any age. Here are a few tips for encouraging a love of books at the earliest age possible.
From birth, babies absorb the patterns of language, and the simple rhymes and sing-song meter of many children’s books are perfect for attuning them to how language works. And repetition isn’t bad! Your youngster may want to hear the same story over...and over...and over...just go with it! The increased familiarity allows children to feel like they’ve mastered their favorite story, predicting the narrative and eventually “reading” it on their own.
Books contain a treasure trove of vocabulary. Simple concept books with everyday themes and images introduce new words, giving even the youngest children the vocabulary to describe the world around them. Picture books reinforce new words even faster by providing an image to point at that corresponds to something familiar in the real world. Studies have shown that children who were read to from a young age acquire over a million more words than those who were not read to by kindergarten.
The more a child reads and is read to, the greater their awareness of how stories work. From character development to the narrative arc of beginning, middle, and end, the foundation is set for them to use their infinite imaginations to build unique tales of their own. Taking turns telling a story, with each family member adding another part, is a great way of supporting kids’ creativity and encouraging playfulness and quick thinking.
As important as it is to expose babies to books early, sometimes it can be a challenge to keep those early exposure books in tact! Indestructibles are a line of books that are, well, indestructible! Babies can chew, tear, smash, or fling these books as they please with no worry on your part for how the book might hold up. Pick out a cute little book today and let your baby get a hands on and worry free start to story time.
