Even Tiniest Children Enjoy Good Book

With school-age children returning to their classrooms and parents everywhere breathing a collective sigh of relief, I thought this would be a great time to remind the parents of infants and toddlers how important it is that even our tiniest children enjoy a cuddle and a good book. The joy of reading is one of the greatest gifts you can give a child, and you can start from birth (or even earlier). Whether you are repeating nursery rhymes, singing songs, or reading stories, these activities offer wonderful opportunities to spend quality time with even the youngest of children.

While these activities offer wonderful bonding time for parent and child, recent studies have shown that reading to small children is extremely important to brain development. In a study by the University of Chicago, researchers discovered that when a parent or childcare provider reads to a child "...in a matter of seconds, thousands of cells in these children's growing brains respond. Some brain cells are 'turned on,' triggered by this particular experience. Many existing connections among brain cells are strengthened. At the same time, new brain cells are formed, adding a bit more definition and complexity to the intricate circuitry that will remain largely in place for the rest of these children's lives."

Researchers have discovered that a child's early reading environment greatly influences not only their future love of books, but also their ability to learn to read. Children who are read to from an early age will have greater success when it becomes time to learn to read. The National Commission on Reading states that "...reading aloud to children is the single most important intervention for developing their literacy skills."

Starting Out Right: A Guide to Promoting Children's Reading Success put out by the Commission on Behavioral and Social Science and Education describes how when an infant coos and the family responds, this is the beginning of how a child learns to communicate. In this same respect, when an infant gets excited over the pictures in a story, when a toddler scribbles, when a four-year-old points out letters on a street sign, these are all signs of growing literacy development. The more children are engaged in literacy building activities, the easier reading will be for them.

So how do we engage children at such a young age? The National Center for the Education of Young Children makes the following recommendations.

For infants:

1. Introduce cardboard or cloth books with brightly colored pictures. Try to select books that reflect the child's own experiences such as books about daily life, family members, animals, or food.
2. Read books that have rhyme, rhythm, or repetition such as nursery rhymes since the sound of the language is especially important to infants who cannot yet focus on pictures very well.
3. Help increase vocabulary by playing "What's that?" or "Where's the ball?" when reading books together.
4. Point out words on signs at the park, at the zoo, when walking or driving. Explain what the words mean as you name them.
5. If the infant becomes restless or fussy while reading, put the book away so that the child does not develop a negative association to reading.

For toddlers and preschoolers:

1. Provide a rich literacy environment by purchasing books for children; taking the children to the library; subscribing to newspapers and magazines; and providing such materials as checks, menus, or greeting cards for play at reading and writing.
2. Add simple stories with a basic plot and one central character to nursery rhymes and favorite books as toddlers' language abilities allow for greater listening capacity and understanding.
3. Provide a warm, accepting atmosphere for reading and writing by responding to children's requests for reading and rereading favorite stories. Also, respond to questions and comments about print inside and outside the home such as packages at the grocery store, road signs, and menus at restaurants.
4. Capitalize on your child's developing interests and take short trips which relate to those interests as well as reading and rereading stories about similar events or places.
5. Create an environment that is supportive of early writing by making sure paper, crayons, pens, pencils, and markers are available. Let toddlers help you write shopping lists.
6. Allow preschool-age children to carry out the steps written in recipes.

The American Library Association offers these additional suggestions:

1. When reading to your child, show your enthusiasm for books and for the time you're spending with them. Turn off distractions such as the radio or television. Read with expression.
2. Hold the book so the child can see the pictures and make reading interactive by asking him or her to point out objects on the pages. Let your child pick out the books to read, and reread their favorites whenever asked.
3. Let your child see you reading and enjoying it. Young children learn through modeling their behavior after yours, so this is a great way to pass on a love for reading.
4. Visit your local library, and sign your child up for a library card. Get to know your children's librarian and attend programs at the library.

By encouraging your children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews or any small child in your life to read, you are opening up a world to them that will prove invaluable as they grow up. Stop in this week and see the display of board books (featuring bright pictures and lots of photographs of infants and toddlers engaging in day to day activities) and literacy materials available at the library. We work very hard to keep the library a place where the children in the community will want to spend their time. As always, we are open to your suggestions for how we can improve.