Toddler development: The benefits of reading

“A book is a gift you can open again and again,” says Garrison Keillor, a famous American author – and most children would agree, especially if they can enjoy it on the laps of their parents.

Snuggling up, listening to your mom or dad read your favourite fairytale not only releases feel good hormones; it also helps you relax and fall asleep easily, creating wonderful memories of a childhood filled with love, fantasy and adventure.

The benefits of reading

This special moment of bonding between you and your toddler also provides you with an opportunity to focus on your toddler’s intellectual, social and ethical development.

While reading;

• Talk about morals and values.
• Develop critical thinking by posing questions for discussion.
• Focus on new words, their meanings and how they are used in a story which will  help expand your toddler’s vocabulary.
• Explain how punctuation works in making sense out of words.
• Use rhythm and rhyme to stimulate your child’s brain.
• Practice listening, concentration and comprehension skills as your toddler listens to find answers to questions you pose about the story, or to find out what happens to characters in the story.
• Encourage your toddler to use his imagination to make predictions about what will happen next in the story, developing his creative thinking skills.
• Teach your toddler to order his thoughts and focus on the sequence of events by asking him what happened first, second and next in the story.
• Encourage a love of reading, setting your toddler up for success both at school and in life (research supports this fact).

Embrace your inner child

It doesn’t matter if you are not a great reader yourself, start with simple books and watch your own reading skills improve as you read to your child.

Embrace your inner child and make reading to your toddler a fun time of the day, rather than viewing it as a chore.

Toddlers like to read the same story over

Toddlers often want to read the same story over and over again because it provides consistency and predictability, which makes them feel secure. Be patient and let them get more involved in reading the story, especially over time.

It’s about more than just reading

Remember this special time of the day with your toddler is about more than just reading. It is a time for them to attach to you, especially if they have been separated from you all day.

As Katherine Patterson, a child author advises, “it is not enough to simply teach children to read; we have to give them something worth reading, something that will stretch their imaginations, something that will help them make sense of their own lives and encourage them to reach out toward people whose lives are quite different from their own.”

Happy Reading!

About the Author: Claire Marketos www.inspiredparenting.co.za
 

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