Cuddling up with your little ones on a big comfy couch or snuggling with them on a bed with pillows propped up, while reading to them, creates warm memories that will be them forever. They will feel loved, safe and secure as you nurture your relationship with them and with books.
According to the Academy of American Pediatrics Research (AAP) shows that reading, talking, and singing regularly with young children from birth stimulates brain development. Although infants are not going to understand the words being read, they will pick up on the emotions, rhythm and sounds of words. As time goes on, babies will begin to understand that words have meanings. When they get older, they will appreciate the storylines and characters. All of this sets the stage for a child’s later success in school.
Ellen Javernick, a kindergarten teacher in Loveland, Colorado, with decades of teaching experience behind her says, “Children who are read to the most often are always the first children to become readers themselves. As they cozy beside their parents, they see and learn to recognize words. They build background knowledge, which helps them anticipate words in the reading they later do themselves.”
My husband always did the bedtime routine with our kids. He would get them in their pajamas, help them brush their teeth and then read to them. It gave me a few minutes to myself and he looked forward to that special time with them. Here are some of his favorites:
*Moo, Baa, Lalala and Barnyard Dance by Sandra Boynton. She has great board books that parents and babies love.
*Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault.
*We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Helen Oxenbury and Michael Rosen.
*The Happy Man and His Dump Truck, a Golden Book.
Personalized books are a great way to encourage a love of reading by including your child in the story.
In addition to books, there are some great magazines for children.
Cricket has magazines for all ages, including BabyBug which is for little ones 6 months to 3 years old.
Highlights has also added magazines for babies and preschoolers. They now have Highlights Hello for the 0-2 ages and Highlights Five for ages 2-6.
A wonderful magazine to learn more about the natural world is National Geographic Little Kids, for ages 3-6.
The AAP has put together a helpful toolkit for parents with advice and suggestions for reading to children at the various stages of development. TOOLKIT. Parents.com also has a great article, Reading age by age.
Reading with your children is a special time to be cherished. What are some of your favorite books to read to your children?
