As parents, we may not realize how important it is to read to our children as early as possible, beginning with infancy. Reading to children promotes strong cerebral, and emotional development. Any positive interaction between parent and child is helpful to a child’s growth, but reading is by far one of the very best ways.
Different features in books, such as phrasing, and pictures appeal to different age groups. As parents, we should understand what type of books are best for a youngster at certain learning stages in their lives. Although every child is different, the following is a basic breakdown of the kind of books that children react to and enjoy at certain ages:
Newborn to 12 months: children at this age react to solid, large books with big bright pictures. Remember that your little one’s vision is still evolving daily and the images we see may be clearer than their view. Big pictures stand out better and capture their attention. Books with covered and protected photos are great at this age, as they help the newborn with name recognition and familiarity.
Toddlers 12-24 months: strong board books are great for this age group. Toddlers love to take ownership and carry their books with them when they explore. Books with big pictures and few words are best for this purpose. Books that incorporate other babies and animals are good subjects. At this age, books with these characters will aid in the learning process of labeling objects and animals in your child’s environment.
Toddlers 2-3 years: elementary story lines with stimulating themes get kids excited about reading. If you need to, choose a book with their favorite TV character to get them excited about reading. Books with nursery rhymes really help with phonics and word relationships. Bedtime books, books that demonstrate a lesson about conduct, potty training, and sharing are critical – in other words, subjects that relate to their daily lives. Books that strengthen their knowledge of the alphabet, animals, and shapes also help in their learning process.
Preschoolers to teens: preschoolers do not know how to read yet, but they should still enjoy reading books and learning new stories. We want them to relish looking at books by themselves and be capable of reciting certain parts of the stories by looking at the pictures on the pages. This will give them a feeling of accomplishment and make them feel that they are “reading,” even if they have just memorized the text, or are looking at the pictures for clues.
The older a child gets, the important thing is to make books accessible that are suitable for their particular reading level. Teenagers should be capable of reading novels that include their interests without having very many pictures to entertain them.
Finally as parents, besides making books accessible for reading, we should help instill the joy and value of reading to our children. Even if we ourselves are not big readers, it is vital to your child’s success to try and set a good example and encourage their reading on a regular basis.
As a parent and a teacher, I know for certain that in the areas of education and learning, there is nothing better that we can do for our children than to encourage them to read. The opportunities that reading opens up for them in their futures is endless.
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