Bedtime stories , a ritual that connects and shows love
Children particularly enjoy listening to stories , although unfortunately parents have less and less time to read bedtime stories to their children . The Oxford Children ’ s Language surveyed 1,000 Australian parents and found that 25 % of them do not read to their children or do so only once a week , so many have lost the tradition of reading bedtime stories time was one of the main obstacles that parents alluded to : 69 % confessed that they would like to have more time to read to their children . As a result of such a hectic life where time is an increasingly scarce commodity , we are robbing children of the chance to develop important communication skills from an early age , without which they may be at a disadvantage later in life .
In fact , it is estimated that reading to children at home can improve early literacy and reading skills by 8 %. When children don ’ t hear new words at home , they can ’ t enrich their language and can ’ t express themselves Duently enough .
A study carried out at the Universities of Sussex and Sydney revealed that even reading the same stories to preschool children is beneficial because it helps them learn new words , improves their memory and enhances learning , effects that persist over time , helping them to have a better academic performance .
Reading to children before bedtime not only facilitates literacy and stimulates communication and language skills , but also helps children fall asleep . We cannot forget that bedtime stories are such powerful learning tools precisely because they promote the consolidation of declarative memory during sleep .
Sharing that moment with their parents also fosters a love for reading from the earliest years . A study by the American Library Association found that children who are read to on a daily basis , are more likely to become avid readers later in life .
Bedtime stories , a ritual that connects and shows love
Reading to children does not only have cognitive benefits . Researchers at the Children ’ s Hospital of Philadelphia found that sharing these routines with parents promotes higher- quality sleep in children , compared to those who