In Early Childhood, reading is a crucial component of learning and is a high priority in our daily program and environments at DMW. We encourage families to read to their children every night to promote language and literacy, develop opportunities for bonding and prepare them for success in the future. The benefits are incredible!
Before reading a bedtime story, prepare the environment so that it is quiet, calm and relaxing. Eliminate background noise by switching off the TV, dim the lights and dedicate a time just for reading and bonding with your child. It's a good idea to remove distractions like mobile phones so that you be present with your child, give them your full attention and really get into character.
The learning your child will retain through regular reading is endless! Here are just five of the reasons why you should be spending time every day nurturing your child's love for reading.
1. Reading to young children sets them up for success
The more you read to your children, the more knowledge they absorb, and knowledge is important in all aspects of life. There have been many studies that show reading to babies and toddlers gives them a head start and helps to prepare them for school later down the line. After all, reading with your children gives them the skills needed for when they start to read themselves.
2. Reading expands your child’s language development and vocabulary
While you may speak with your children every day, the vocabulary you use is often limited and repetitive. Reading books ensures that your child is exposed to vocabulary on different topics, which means they hear words or phrases which they may not hear otherwise in their day to day lives. At DMW, we display words and pictures in our environments to familiarise the children with a range of concepts and themes.
3. Reading enhances your child’s concentration
While you may feel that reading to a toddler is less important as they often just want to constantly turn pages, swap books, or throw them around altogether, reading with your little one is extremely important at this age! Our educators teach children to respect books by turning pages carefully, handling them with care and role-modelling positive behaviour. By consistently reading to your child every day, your child will learn to concentrate and sit still for longer periods of time, which can help later on when they go to school.
4. Books teach children about a range of important topics
Providing your child with different types of books on different topics, or even in different languages for bilingual kids, gives them a wide range of information for them to learn. We have lots of different books at the service that introduce children to a wide range of concepts and scaffold on their interests.
5. Reading develops a child’s imagination and creativity
When we really engage in a book we imagine what the characters are doing. We imagine the setting as reality. Seeing the excitement on a child’s eyes when they know what is going to be on the next page, or having them guess what is going to happen is one of the most amazing things to experience!
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