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Read a child a book and they ’ ll be amused that day ; teach a child to read and they can entertain themselves for life . Freya Paleit investigates how and when to get involved with your child ’ s journey of mastering the wonderful skill of reading
Reading plays a different role with different children at different ages in their lives . The age they start to read , gain proficiency and choose to read for pleasure varies greatly among youngsters . This variation often frustrates and worries parents who simply want their children to master a skill seen by many as vital to all academic areas . But instead of fretting where your child is on the reading spectrum relative to their age , it is perhaps better simply to look at what support would benefit your child at his or her current stage . Helping your child develop as a reader at their speed means you are more likely to ensure that they grow into a lover of reading rather than someone who dreads it .
Babies It may not be your first concern when you bring your new baby home from hospital but you can actually get started with reading straight away . Even newborns benefit from the experience of hearing stories . Research has shown that the number of words an infant is exposed to has a direct impact on language development and literacy . So , read to your baby out loud , every day . You can read absolutely anything – from a recipe book as you prepare dinner or the newspaper as you have your morning coffee . Turning on the TV or the radio for your baby to listen to will not have the same effect . For a baby to benefit from exposure to language at this stage it has to be live and in person .
As you read to your baby , you may find that he or she grabs for the book or wants to touch the pictures or the page . Babies take in information using all of their senses . For this reason , if you ’ re sitting together to share a story , board books designed for babies are what you need – as they can ’ t be ripped and can survive being sucked on . There are also plenty of books specifically designed to appeal to the senses , with parts of the page to feel or crinkle , buttons to press or flaps to lift . These all add to the experience for a baby and hold their interest a little longer . Even if your baby loses attention quickly ( which is very likely ), don ’ t give up ; try another time . You will find that over time , your baby ’ s attention span grows , and they may even find a favourite book and present it to you to read together .
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