Reading to your child

Reading helps your child do better at school

Young children whose parents read aloud to them have better language and literacy skills when they go to school, according to a review published online in the Archives of Disease in Childhood. They’re also more likely to develop a love of reading, which can be even more important than the head start in language and literacy.

In addition, describing pictures in the book, explaining the meaning of the story, and encouraging your child to talk about what has been read to them and to ask questions can improve their understanding of the world and their social skills.

The review brings together a wide range of published research on the benefits of reading aloud to children. It also includes evidence that middle class parents are more likely to read to their children than poorer families.

The authors explain that the style of reading has more impact on children’s early language and literacy development than the frequency of reading aloud. Middle class parents tend to use a more interactive style, making connections to the child’s own experience or real world, explaining new words and the motivations of the characters; while working class parents tend to focus more on labeling and describing pictures. These differences in reading styles can impact on children’s development of language and literacy-related skills.

 

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