Why worth reading to children?
I guess it's easier to give 1,000 reasons to read books to children than to find 1 reason not to☺.
"No matter how many activities you have the most important thing you can do for your child's future, next to showing them love by cuddling them. is to read aloud every day and to limit television" (Jim Trelease)
Nowadays, when we are all in a hurry, absorbed in our work and numerous duties, it is more and more difficult to find a moment and sometimes to gather the strength to read a book to a child.
20 minutes every day - This is how much experts recommend reading to children. In practice, this is not always the case, and I understand this very well as a mother of two little urchins. I realise that discouragement and resignation can sometimes set in, but in the following article I will very briefly present a few arguments that I hope will motivate us to read to our children, and we will also find a way out of the total crisis.
Why is reading to our children so important?
Specialists in child development particularly emphasise the impact of reading on the activation of the 5 competence areas: communication, rest, emotional intelligence, concentration and emotion.
Dear parent, remember that reading is:
1. Building the parent-child bond
Each of us should remember that when we read a book to a child, we are offering him or her the greatest gifts - our time, attention, commitment and enthusiasm. A child to whom we read every day will feel important and loved. His or her sense of worth will also grow. By reading a fairy tale, we can gain a few moments together and 100 per cent enjoy each other's presence
2. stimulation of brain development, speech, memory and thinking.
For me, as a professional working with hearing-impaired and aphasic children, the use of books in my work is fundamental to my professional activities. Reading develops speech and shapes memory. Books enrich the child's vocabulary, both passive (language comprehension) and active (independent language use). Reading develops vocabulary, this is an undeniable fact. The child gradually begins to use newer and newer words, so that he or she is able to understand what others say and to express his or her own thoughts. The richer the language, the more efficient this process is. In turn, the stories read in books teach the child to understand cause and effect relationships and to make inferences. When a child listens to a text being read, he or she memorises the plot and simple dialogues. He or she is later able to relate a situation from a book to one in real life - they learn to think for themselves. These are essential skills for proper social functioning.
3. Shaping emotional intelligence.
Books are a rich source of knowledge about emotions for the child. Each story features characters whose adventures, behaviour and choices lead to different situations with which young readers can identify. Through these stories, the child learns about feelings and learns to name and express them. They develop sensitivity, empathy and the ability to notice positive and negative behaviour in themselves and others.
4. developing self-esteem.
Children who have been exposed to books from an early age construct verbal expressions correctly, are more willing to speak and answer questions in family, school and peer environments. They are likely to achieve greater educational success. All this makes children build a positive self-image, feel more confident and valued. It is worth reading to children from their earliest years. By providing such a positive example of how to spend leisure time, we form the child's habit of reaching for books frequently. A child's need for contact with literature does not develop on its own; it needs to be awakened during the process of upbringing. As the child grows up, he or she has the opportunity to become a frequent visitor to the library. This activity will enable the child to choose his or her own books to read and thus make his or her own reading choices. An interest in reading has a positive effect on later learning at school.
5. one of the best ways to relax
Reading books helps to calm the child, to give him or her a break from the overload of stimulation and sensations, and to give modern children the quiet they need. Reading develops the child's attention, concentration, reduces stress levels - the child's immersion in a world of stories reduces tension in the body, relaxes muscles - relaxes.
SOME TIPS FOR PARENTS/GUARDIANS:
➡️ A child's first books should be short and contain only a few
parties. This is because the child has a narrow and short attention span.
➡️ Illustrations should be large and not very complex. Many children like books with pictures alone and no words.
➡️ Make sure your child is able to understand the words in the book.
➡️ A child enjoys listening to a book being read when the atmosphere is pleasant and cosy.
➡️ The same books can be read more than once at the child's request.
➡️ Even when your child learns to read independently, you should not
stop reading.
Finally, I would like to suggest some tried-and-tested book items, such a Top 10, perhaps a little less popular like Kitten or Pucio (of course I highly recommend them too☺). I suggest books for children from 1 to 3 years old.
🔹 "Is anyone there?" Anna- Clara Tidholm
🔹 "Make up something" Anna- Clara Tidholm
🔹 "Lalo plays the drum" Eva Susso, Benjamin Chaud
🔹 "The very hungry caterpillar" Eric Carle
🔹 "Eli's ball" by Catarina Kruusval
🔹 "Ela on the beach" by Catarina Kruusval
🔹 "Spring in Cherry Street" by Rotraut Susanne Berner
🔹 "Gili gili last-minute words" Dreyfuss Corinne
🔹 "Traktor Stasia" Monika Filipaina, Mikrut Izabela
🔹 "Press me" Tullet Herve
🔹 "Mum, why?" Patrycja Odolska, Agata Krupa
To conclude, I promised a way to have a complete crisis☺ I would like to recommend the game by Djeco 'Bisous Dodo', which I played with my son from a very young age. We started the adventure with this game before he was two years old and it still brings joy to this day. Sometimes it can be an alternative to a book, but it is more of an addition to it. I would also recommend trying together with your child to create your own version of this game with handmade cards, with instructions created by your child (not a two-year-old, of course☺).
These are two sample cards, I am sure you will create many wonderful, highly imaginative cards with your children that will make evenings full of laughter and joy☺.
About the Author:
Ewelina Romanowska
▪ Special educator,
▪ Early childhood education teacher,
▪ Educational therapist
▪ Early childhood development educator
