World Book Day
This week at First Steps we celebrated World Book Day. It was fantastic to see the children dressed as some of their favourite characters from their favourite stories. The children enjoyed sharing some of their favourite stories and we had lots of activities based around some of the children’s familiar stories such as ‘The Hungry Caterpillar’ and ‘Rainbow Fish’. World Book Day is the perfect time to focus on the importance of reading to children in the early years.
It’s undeniable that a child’s reading skills are important to their success in school, work, and life in general. And it is very possible to help ensure your child’s success by reading to them starting at a very early age. Whether you’re reading a classic novel or fairy tales before bed, reading aloud to children can significantly benefit your child’s life. Some benefits reading to children include:
Supported cognitive development- Reading to young children is proven to improve cognitive skills and help along the process of cognitive development. Cognitive development is the emergence of the ability to think and understand; it’s “the construction of thought processes”, including remembering, problem solving, and decision-making. When you begin reading aloud to your child, it essentially provides them with background knowledge on their young world, which helps them make sense of what they see, hear, and read.
Improved language skills- Reading daily to young children, starting in infancy, can help with language acquisition, communication skills, social skills, and literacy skills. This is because reading to your children in the earliest months stimulates the part of the brain that allows them to understand the meaning of language and helps build key language, literacy and social skills.
Preparation for academic success-Studies have shown that “the more words that are in a child’s language world”, the more words they will learn, and the stronger their language skills are when they reach school, the more prepared they are to be able to read, and the better they read, the more likely they will achieve their academic potential.
Developing a special bond with your child- It goes without saying that reading to your young child on a regular basis can help you forge a stronger relationship with them. When it comes to children, one of the most important things you can do to positively influence their development is spend time with them. Reading to your children provides a great opportunity to set up a regular, shared event where you can look forward to spending time together.
Increased concentration and discipline- Very young children rarely sit still for long, and it’s often difficult to get them to focus. But when you introduce regular reading to your children, you may start to observe a change in behaviour. Toddlers may initially squirm and become distracted during story time, but eventually they’ll learn to stay still for the duration of the book.
Improved imagination and creativity- Young children naturally have a capacity to dream big and use their imaginations. Reading aloud to your child helps them use their imaginations to explore people, places, times, and events beyond their own experiences. Reading as an imaginative activity can open doors to all kinds of new worlds for your child.
At First Steps Nursery in Poole, reading is a part of our everyday routine. Our book corners allow the children the opportunity to explore a range of books, and we love nothing more than watching the children engaged in story time with the Nursery practitioners.