You know how wonderfully amazing and beneficial reading aloud to your child can be. But did you know that actually starting as early as eight weeks is highly recommended? We began reading aloud to Georgie when he was about 18 months. I didn’t even think of doing it when he was a younger baby. Do you or did you read to your infant or baby?
I recently read an article about the benefits of reading aloud to our children and how it’s just as important to keep reading to the older children too. Because it creates a togetherness, a moment where our kids have our full attention and adoration. It’s not just about the story. It’s a special moment that is up to us as parents to maintain as it can be stretched as early and as late in their life as we like. Liza Baker, executive editorial director at Scholastic explains:
“It’s important to start reading from Day One. The sound of your voice, the lyrical quality of the younger books are poetic. It’s magical. Even as early as eight weeks old, they focus momentarily, they’re closer to your heart. But it shouldn’t end when kids begin to read on their own. As they become independent readers we tend to let them go but even kids in older demographics love nothing more than that time with their parents. We’re blown away that kids time and again said the most special time they recall spending with a parent is reading together.”
One of the benefits I particularly love about reading aloud to Georgie is how it encourages a longer attention span. You know how kids and attention spans can be so when they’re actually able to sit still, listen and focus for at least ten minutes you know you are doing something right. I am in awe of the magic that takes over when I start reading to him. How the wild and untamed can suddenly be mesmerised with a string of a words. During a sleepover with my godson, while I was reading to him and Georgie, i noticed the look on his face -in all fairness it was a Dr Seuss book and I LOVE reading those so I get very carried away. maybe he was in shock or something- but his eyes were glued to me and his mouth dropped. My godson cannot be easily impressed but at that moment he was.
I love this little habit, if you will, that Georgie and I have. We fell into this routine of reading a book every night and it just sort of stuck. It comes naturally and it just got even better because he can read now! So cool. Listening to my child read has to be one of the greatest moments of my life.
As part of this post I would like to announce that one of our favourite kiddie shops, The Sinnefaki has a 30% discount on all books this week until Saturday, May 13.
