Just by looking at books with your child, you can be a great storyteller and a good model for using language and books. Your child will learn by watching you hold a book the right way and seeing how you move through the book by gently turning the pages.
Reading to your children can:
Help your child get to know sounds, words and language, and develop early literacy skills.
Learn to value books and stories.
Spark your child’s imagination and stimulate curiosity. Creating, imagining and innovating is one of the 12 habits of mind that will build a child’s confidence.
Develop your child’s brain, social skills and communication skills.
Able to differentiate between ‘real’ and ‘imaginary’.
Help your child understand change and new or frightening events, and also the strong emotions that can go along with them.
When should you read to your children?
Bedtime, bath time, on the train, on the bus, in the car, in the park, in the pram, when they’re still in your tummy and when you’re in the GP’s waiting room … any time is a good time for a story! You can make books part of your daily routine – take them with you to share and enjoy everywhere.
Knowing when to stop can be just as important as finding the time to share a story in the first place. Pay attention to your child’s reaction to the story, and stop if they don’t seem to be enjoying it like they usually would be. You can always try a book, song or story at another time.