From to
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 .
November 2017 61
From
to
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
R
eading 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
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