FBfamily: Why you should read with your kids

1. Children who are read to on a regular basis when they are young are well prepared for success in reading and learning once they start school.

2. Reading to your child teaches them about communication, concepts such as letters, shapes, counting and colours, and builds their listening, memory and vocabulary skills.
3. Rhymes help develop a young child’s ear for language and repetition makes books predictable, and young readers love knowing what’s going to happen. Rhyming and repetition make books fun to read, and if kids think reading is fun, they’ll be far more likely to pick up a book themselves.
4 .The more stories you read aloud and the more words your child is exposed to, the better she will be able to talk. Her self-esteem will grow with the ability to communicate more clearly and confidently. Her self-esteem will grow with the ability to communicate more clearly and confidently. She will thrive on spending time with you, develop imagination and creativity, and learn positive behaviour patterns, social values and positive attitudes towards herself and others.
5. Picture books and stories offer children a safe setting to explore, says psychologist Dr Thomas Whelan. “Characters, animals and pictures can be useful in enabling young children to acknowledge and express different thoughts and feelings,” he explains.
6. Story should be appropriate for your child’s age, especially if it’s dealing with more complex emotions. Stories are excellent for teaching young children about other points of view, feelings and relationships. They provide parents with words to explain tricky issues, and parents get an insight into their child’s perspective.
7. When reading aloud, try to be as expressive as possible. You might feel a bit silly at first, but remember it’s just you and your little one, and they’ll be too busy enjoying the experience to rate your performance abilities. The more they feel your closeness, hear your voice and watch your face as you speak, the more they’ll enjoy it. And enjoying the experience is what it’s all about, as this will give your child a lifelong love of books and reading.
8.Don’t be surprised if your toddler or preschooler knows when you have missed a word in one of her favourite books and demands that you follow the story exactly. This shows that she is learning the connection between words and pictures, and that stories have a specific sequence.
9. For young babies, look for simple text and bright pictures. Wipeable board books or cloth types you can throw in the wash are great for this age. Toddlers are beginning to understand the structure of stories and enjoy rhyme, rhythm and repetition, and may be making sounds, singing songs, pointing out objects and perhaps even ‘reading’ books by themselves. Older children like humour and predictable stories, and enjoy more detailed illustrations. They will also make comments and ask questions about the story or pictures.
10. Your child makes an important connection between the thing she loves most – closeness to you and books. It makes reading a skill she wants to learn. The best books for children.