There is nothing children love more than cuddling up and listening to you read them a good story. Reading stories together is a special bonding experience that you both will remember forever. Fill your story times with a variety of books to keep kids interested and engaged, but don't be surprised if they ask for the same story again and again! Be consistent, be patient, and watch your little one's eyes fill with joy as you open up new worlds to them through the power of reading.
Reading aloud to young children not only creates loving memories, but also promotes a love of reading and prepares them for the future. By reading aloud to your child you give them better language development, literacy skills, and a love of reading to better prepare them for when they start school.
Magical Reading Memories
When we look back on our childhood, many of us have fond memories of story time. Many adults remember snuggling up, listening to favorite stories, and feeling comfort and joy as we listed to the sound of a loved one's voice. Reading aloud to your children helps create these wonderful memories that you and your child will cherish forever. Magical stories encourage a love for reading. Sometimes children need time to think about stories they have read. Don't be surprised if, a day or so later, your child mentions something from a story you've read together!
What happens during your child's first few years sets the stage for the rest their life. By reading to your child and sharing tales of adventure and fantasy, you help their little imaginations flourish. The adventures you go on while reading together craft magical
Reading Aloud to Children Helps Development
The memories created during story time are magical but so are the benefits that come from reading aloud to your little one. These benefits include:
Increased Vocabulary and Language Skills - When reading aloud you build up your child’s knowledge of words, grammatically correct phrases, and sentences. This helps develop conversational, writing, and communication skills!
Moral Lessons and Heroic Values – Children love to listen and copy everything. By reading tales of heroism and adventures aloud to your child you incorporate life lessons and introduce them to the concept of morality. Stories and their characters set an example of heroes and moral behavior that your child can model.
Enhances Concentration - Reading aloud is extremely important even when your children are very small. By consistently reading to your child every day, starting as an infant, your child will learn to concentrate and sit still for longer periods of time.
Brain Development - Reading to your little one increases their brain activity, which gives their brains a developmental boost!
Encourages Love for Reading and Knowledge - Children are always curious! Reading aloud encourages your child to ask questions about the book and helps them draw parallels to their own life. This increases their curiosity about the world around them and promotes using their imaginations.
Cuddle Up with Some of Our Favorites!
Babies Nurse: This beautifully illustrated book's overarching theme of breastfeeding inspires conversations about parenting, biology, habitats, survival, and more, making this book an engaging choice for young children as well as elementary school readers!
Cuddled and Carried: Beautiful images introduce the children to attachment in the natural world. Watching mothers lend a paw, wing, flipper, or hand to care for their young fosters empathy, kindness, and compassion. Supplemental back matter and a free Teacher's Guide helps parents, librarians, educators, and healthcare providers creatively describe caretaking, while introducing a range of early science concepts.
Sarah Reece-Stretman, a pediatrician and mother of two, says that Cuddled and Carried "Makes cuddling during story time that much sweeter."
If My Mom Were a Platypus: All mammal mothers feed, protect, and teach their young, even though these tasks can challenge their own needs for survival. But a mammal baby’s journey to maturity varies dramatically depending on whether it is a bear or a bat, a shrew or a seal, a hippopotamus or a human. This fascinating look at life cycles portrays the normalcy of birth and breastfeeding and explores how mothers help 14 different mammals navigate the path from helpless infants to self-sufficient adults.
What are some of your favorite stories to read aloud? Let us know in the comments!
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