The experiences a child is exposed
to in the first few years of life is fundamental because it is at that stage
that the neurons in the brain are making the most connections with the
different parts of the brain, thus improving the child's thinking and learning
abilities (Berger, 2016).
For parents who started reading
books to their children at infancy, their children developed better literacy
skills at school age. Reading books to children enhances their speech and
language as well as cognitive development (Sajedi, Habibi, Hatamizadeh,
Hatamizadeh, Shahshahanipour, & Afzali.(2018).
This is a personal story of mine. I
had read about the importance of reading to children even while they are in
utero in mom blogs and random articles. However, at that time I had not come in
contact with resources that were evidence based on that topic. Sadly I did not
start reading intensively to my children until they were a little over a year
old. I realised that although my twins were exposed to the same activities and
language at home, my son was not vocal which raised a lot of concerns for me. I
spoke with their paediatrician who told me that he would catch up
eventually but that did not sit well with me. With that in mind I researched on
children's books and bought so many as well as those that made it to other
mom's recommended list and I went on to full military mode with reading,
talking, asking questions and describing everything I could. It took a while
but now at almost 3 years old, he is just as expressive as his sister and this gives
me joy. I see the excitement and enthusiasm in them whenever we read from their
favourite books at each point in time. They know the titles of each book and
they complete my sentences when I read, which I believe comes as a result of
repetitive reading.
Research has indeed provided
solutions to many problems and gives us the information we need to make the
best decisions for our children. Based on my experience, I would gladly pass on
this knowledge to every expectant parent I know so that they do not have to
worry about their children's speech and communication skills unless it is as a
result of health issues.
Reference
Berger, K.
S. (2016). The developing person through childhood (7th ed.).
New York, NY: Worth Publishers.
Sajedi,
F., Habibi, E., Hatamizadeh, N., Hatamizadeh, N., Shahshahanipour, S., &
Afzali, H. M. (2018). Early storybook reading and childhood development: A
cross-sectional study in Iran [version 1; referees: 2 approved]. F1000Research, 7:411
You have taken major steps toward empowering your life-long learners through words (books, meaningful conversations). A literacy rich environment definitely assist with language, cognitive, and other areas of development. I would like to share Read Right from the Start, a literacy based resource for educators and parents. The free, on-line language and literacy courses are geared towards ending the nationwide epidemic of illiteracy. You can visit Cox Campus at
ReplyDeletehttps://www.coxcampus.org/ You may find some more helpful strategies to use with your toddlers.
Research is a great tool, but it is not always a predictor of what is going to happen. As they say each pregnancy is different, so each child will be different. My mother has 4 children, we were all raised similarly but not everything was done exactly the same. Some things she was stricter on with me and relaxed on my siblings. Their were just different influences of myself and society. So there are some areas where my siblings and I are alike and there are areas where we are different. But this is to say that you have taken steps to ensure that your children have access and know that education/reading are important.
ReplyDeleteAdiele,
ReplyDeleteIt is becoming more well known that early language exposure affects not only language development of children, but, also, the cognitive, social, and emotional development. The rich engagement between a mother and her children builds safety and connection, and when it is paired with language, the children learn vocabulary, working memory, reasoning, communication skills, social conversation skills, and basic literacy skills. You developed a very special language and literacy rich environment for your children. Through your reading times with your twins, you modeled language, reading, conversations, the love for books, and so much more. Not only will your son and daughter continue to grow and flourish, they will be ready to succeed in school when the time comes.
Wishing you well,
Donna