Pediatricians encourage reading

Pediatricians have long encouraged reading to children, but the guidelines are the first official policy from the American Academy of Pediatrics telling doctors to talk to parents about daily reading to their children, from the first year of life until kindergarten.

It also calls on doctors and policymakers to ease the burden on poor and working families by distributing kids’ books for free to children in need.

Reading stimulates brain development

Reading with young children “stimulates optimal patterns of brain development and strengthens parent-child relationships at a critical time in child development, which, in turn, builds language, literacy and social-emotional skills that last a lifetime,” the AAP guidelines said.

Research has shown a stark divide among economic lines when it comes to reading — just one in three children in poverty are read to daily, resulting in “a significant learning disadvantage” when they get to school, the AAP added.

Even wealthier families do not always make reading a ritual, with 60 percent of those with incomes 400 percent of the poverty threshold saying they read to their children from birth to age five, according to a 2011-2012 survey.

Babies can benefit

Busy schedules are a constant obstacle, and some pediatricians are concerned about the widespread use of screen technology — from televisions to smartphones and tablets — which may be edging out reading time, too.

The AAP has previously said babies under age two should be as screen-free as possible, and that the best kind of learning takes place through unstructured, interactive play with humans and toys.

Very young babies can get benefits from reading, even if they do not seem interested, said Peter Richel, a fellow of the AAP and chief of pediatrics at Northern Westchester Hospital in New York.

“We can stimulate greater brain development in these months and years,” said Richel.

Earlier word recognition

“I do see earlier word recognition, earlier phrases and sentence formation, and singing — I always recognise that in those who are exposed to daily reading.”

In order to bridge the income gap, the AAP said it “supports federal and state funding for children’s books to be provided at pediatric health supervision visits for children at high risk.”

Word gap between children who read and those who don’t

Speaking at a Clinton Global Initiative America meeting in Denver, Colorado, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton said she supported the new guidelines.

Clinton also announced that Scholastic, a leading publisher of children’s books, would donate 500,000 books that pediatricians could distribute to families in need.

“By four years of age, children in lower-income families tend to have heard more than 30 million fewer words than children in more affluent families. Thirty million. Because they hear fewer words, they learn fewer words,” Clinton said.

“The word gap leads to an achievement gap that can have lifelong consequences.”

Clinton, whose daughter Chelsea is pregnant, said she remembered seeing her daughter’s face light up when she and her husband read to her as a child.

“Certainly we saw that when Bill and I were reading to Chelsea and we expect to do the same with our new grandchild coming in the fall,” Clinton said.

(AFP Relaxnews)

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In addition to keeping it simple and predictable, here are some top tips to creating a bedtime routine for your little one.

1. Keep it short – no longer than 30 minutes.
2. If you have a child older than 6 months, feed him or her  prior to bath time.
3. A bath is the best “activity” to kick-start your bedtime routine with.
4. For a toddler, set an egg timer for 30 minutes before bedtime to get him used to the idea that sleep is soon to follow.
5. No iPads or TV (or any other electronic devices) for at least two hours before bedtime. Rather invest in some quality family time.
6. Keep bedtime early. Typically, after 8pm it should only be mom and dad left in the living room.

Remember that children (until they reach a stage of puberty) need to sleep for a solid 11 or 12 hours at night. Therefore, an early bedtime for the whole family is a good idea.

In addition to a well rested child, you and your partner will still have a few hours left in the evening to enjoy quality time with each other.

About the Author: Good Night is a child and baby sleep consultancy that specialises in helping parents with children who struggle to sleep soundly. For more information, visit: www.goodnightbaby.co.za

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The importance of sensory activities

Because senses kick the brain and muscles into action, sensory activities strengthen not only the the body, but the brain as well.

How does it work?

Touch is the first stepping stone to your baby developing academic skills.

Cells in the skin send signals to the brain regarding texture, temperature and pain.  Thus, a baby does not learn just by looking, but by touching and feeling the different signals sent by the skin.

Remembering boundaries

As a mom or caregiver, you still need to set boundaries when it comes to touching (and tasting) as a means for your baby to explore the world around him. It is important that you teach your baby from an early age the difference between touching or tasting something that is safe and something that is potentially dangerous.

Simple sensory activities

Simple games and activities can improve your baby’s sensory integration and skills. At Pienkvoet-Pret, we encourage our moms to boil up a pot of spaghetti for a fun sensory activity. The texture of the cooked (and cooled) spaghetti will stimulate your baby’s sense of touch, encouraging him to manipulate the strings with his fingers. The spaghetti will also encourage him to grab. By learning how to grab, your baby will be able to engage in more play – whether by himself or with you.

To introduce colour (another great way to stimulate your baby’s senses), add a dash of food colouring to the boiling pot of spaghetti. Primary colours are a great idea.

About the Author: Pienkvoet-Pret is a holistic and integrated method of fine and gross-motor education for babies and toddlers. For more information, visit www.pienkvoetpret.co.za. You can also “Like” them on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pienkvoet-Pret/120438064636105?sk=timeline

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