3 Reasons to Read with Your Child During the Holiday

Reading with your child is one activity that should be maintained despite the holiday commotion. Below we explore three reasons why it’s important not to let this family routine fall by the wayside during the holidays.

1. The first years of learning are unique. Make the most of them.

The first years of life are vitally important for language development. Because your child’s brain is developing rapidly, this is the stage when it is most receptive to new information. Just think of the dramatic changes in language which you can see during this period. Typically, a baby’s first spoken words occur at about one year. At first, her spoken vocabulary grows slowly but steadily. At 18 months she probably knows around 50-100 words. Then, beginning sometime between 18 months and three years most children experience a vocabulary explosion when they learn more words at a faster rate. By the time they enter school they will know thousands of words.

2. Reading routines strengthen language development in multiple ways.

Research shows that the amount and quality of speech that parents use with their child are among the strongest influences on his language skills, especially before age three. Making a shared reading routine and sticking to it ensures that in during hectic times, your child is getting the speech input he needs. Reading books with your child also increases the variety of speech he hears, since it introduces him to words that he may not hear in everyday conversation.

And because language development is a two-way process, it’s not just about making sure your child hears the right amount and variety of words. The amount of verbal interaction with your child is as important as the amount of language you use. It means talking with him and not just to him.

It’s the same with reading: While reading to your child is one of the best ways to promote literacy, he’ll benefit even more if you encourage him to take an active role. Don’t just read the words on the page while he listens. Use stories and pictures as opportunities to ask questions and explore ideas. It’s okay to wander into new topics that are not part of the book. What’s important is that he’s learning through a shared experience.

3. Shared reading teaches a broad set of skills.

Children learn much more from shared reading than just new words. Literacy involves a complex foundation of skills that are reinforced when you read a book with your young child.

What are some examples? Depending on her age, story time can be a way to teach your child:

Vocabulary. Point to specific words and talk about their meaning. Point to objects in a picture and discuss what they represent. What color is the car? Whose car do you think that is? Why is there a car in the story?

Alphabet awareness. Having a book in front of you is a perfect opportunity to work with your child on identifying letters and knowing their sounds. Ask her if she can find three G’s on the page, or two words that include the “ee” sound. Then let her ask you similar questions. Find examples that show how the same letter or combination of letters can make different sounds in different words.

Conventions of print. This refers to the aspects of reading that we adults take for granted, like spaces between words, left-to-right orientation, and types of punctuation. We may no longer give them much thought, but each one is a brand new idea for a beginning reader. Especially with early readers, try to include these concepts in your discussion when sharing a book.

The kind of shared reading we’ve been describing, sometimes called dialogic reading, gives your child the equivalent of ‘hands-on’ experience in literacy. Studies have shown that it strengthens language development more effectively than passive listening. Parents who introduce their young children to reading and reinforce strong reading habits help prepare them to succeed in school and in life.