You hear it everywhere, “Read to your baby!” It seems like you’re hearing it from the moment you find out you’re expecting. You hear it all the time at Bright Start Academy O’Fallon, “Read to your child!” It’s on every parenting magazine, every preschool television show. Doctors and nurses, teachers and early childhood education experts, everyone seems to be pushing the idea that reading to your young child is essential. They say your child should be read to early and often. But is it really that important? Why read to your baby when the book is just something else to try to eat or rip out the pages? Even when they won’t sit still long enough for you to feel like you’re doing any good, the research proves that it really is that important for you to read to your child. Children who are read to early on in life tend to have better overall development. Not only is there an improvement in language development and fluency, but they tend to have better focus, concentration, healthier social relationships, and even tend to be more successful in school. When you realize all the benefits of reading to your young child, it’s no wonder that Bright Start Academy O’Fallon emphasizes reading every single day!
For parents and Bright Start Academy O’Fallon caregivers alike, it’s so exciting to hear your child say their first word! And then it only gets better as you hear them say new words, learn new concepts, and start making connections on their own. When you read to your child, you are actually teaching them all of these things! You are showing them how letters sound, and how they combine to make words, and how those words relate to things in their world. They are learning how books work; reading print from left to right and holding the book the correct way. When they have a favorite book, they ask to hear it over and over again! And the children at Bright Start Academy O’Fallon sure do have their favorites! We know it’s another lesson though, as through that repetition your child is learning to remember those concepts and starting to build on them. It’s just another way we can help your child learn!
Socially, your child learns so much when you read to them, and we know firsthand, at Bright Start Academy O’Fallon, how essential social development is. First and foremost, reading gives them that special time to connect with you. You are your child’s favorite person, and when you read to them, that security and relationship is solidified. It’s especially nice when your little one is on the move so much, to get that snugly one on one time back for a few minutes. But even outside of your own relationship with your child, books are a great way for them to learn about emotions, relationships, sharing, and helping others. Reading to your child will help them learn better communication skills that they can use to make and keep friendships. At Bright Start Academy O’Fallon, we enjoy talking about the emotions and challenges in the stories. By working together, we are creating a strong sense of community, while teaching them relationship skills that are necessary as they grow.
And as your child grows, that special reading time doesn’t need to end! We keep reading aloud to our Bright Start Academy O’Fallon Pre-K and Kindergarten rooms because they are still developing skills they need in life! Focus, concentration, problem-solving, and logical thinking are just a few of the skills that can be nurtured when you read aloud to your child. Reading books that have more advanced concepts and challenges helps your child work them out, with your guidance, helping you talk through tough situations together. We read books that are slightly above their reading level at Bright Start Academy O’Fallon, to motivate them to hone their skills and push themselves to read even more! To know more about Bright Start Academy, contact us at 636-379-2600.
When you look at all of the benefits that reading aloud has for your child, it’s easy to see why Bright Start Academy O’Fallon and experts agree that that reading is essential! Learning speech and language, social and problem-solving skills, and learning to focus and concentrate are all skills that will help them as they prepare to enter kindergarten, and that’s just the start of what reading aloud can help your child learn! With all these skills to develop and all the fun and funny stories there are to read, it’s no wonder the caregivers at Bright Start Academy O’Fallon make it a point to read to your child every day! Keeping them interested and engaged while they are listening and learning is what we look forward to each and every day!
Bright Start Academy 