For some people, the warmest memories from childhood come from being read a great story. But reading to children does more than create warm memories. It develops children's language skills and increases their ability to succeed in school and, later, work.
A new report by the American Academy of Pediatrics says reading aloud is so important that parents should start as soon as their children are born. And they should continue to read aloud even after their children can read by themselves.
Doctors say parents should read books that are not too long and on the right age level so children will not lose interest. They say parents should also point to and talk about pictures in books for infants. For young children, parents should ask questions about the book.
Elizabeth Lyttleton has three daughters. They are ages 10, eight and two-and-a-half. Ms. Lyttleton says all her children learn from books – but in different ways.
"I watch the language in my two-and-a-half-year-old, who is now getting a big language explosion, so much of it comes from the books that she reads. So much of her capacity to identify the world around her comes from books that we read together. With my 8-year-old, it's now the broadening horizons. The oldest now truly reads for pleasure and can get absolutely lost in young adult books."
Researchers identify some ways to develop a love of reading in a child. One is simply to have books in the home.
Elizabeth Lyttleton’s mother wrote and made pictures for children's books, so the family always had plenty to read.
Another way to develop a reading habit in children is to read to them. Researchers found that 80% of children surveyed -- of all ages -- say they love being read to.
Researchers also suggest permitting children to choose their own books. More than 90% surveyed said their favorite books are the ones they chose for themselves.
本时文内容由奇速英语国际教育研究院原创编写,禁止复制和任何商业用途,版权所有,侵权必究!