Shared Reading is Not Just about Reading

The other branch is emotional and social growth, which concerns skills like empathy, independence, and confidence. Skills like these help your child understand who she is and how she fits in the world around her.

The Urban Child Institute, Memphis’ local experts on the science of young children’s brains, have been studying both branches of development for years, although research on social-emotional development has only recently begun to keep pace with cognitive and language research. This year, in partnership with RAND Corporation, The Institute focuses on the second branch of development with their new publication, Off to a Good Start: Social and Emotional Development of Memphis’ Children.

Children are shaped by the things they experience.

This is a major theme in Off to a Good Start, and it is threaded through each chapter. Another key idea presented in the book is that reading with your child nourishes both types of development.

It’s no surprise that she gains new vocabulary and early literacy skills during story time. But shared reading experiences also foster social and emotional skills.

Before young children can read themselves, books give parents and children something to do together, something to bond over and talk about. When parents use the stories presented in books as a way to talk about emotions, relationships, and other aspects of life, they help equip children with the skills they will need to live up their awesome potential.

For example, consistent, caring parenting in the early years is associated with

• healthier behaviors
• positive peer interactions
• increased ability to cope with stress
• better school performance in life

Shared reading is a source of positive experiences.

Because experiences play a huge role in making a person who she is, exploring books with your child is a great way to build a foundation of positive parenting. Ensuring that books are a part of your child’s life from birth means her variety of experiences will be wider and richer. Each moment you spend reading together strengthens the bond between you and contributes to the foundation of social and emotional skills that will serve her throughout life.

Although Off to a Good Start gives the ‘big picture’ of how children are faring in our city and county, it also gets small, offering practical information that can show parents what to expect in the first years of their child’s life and help them make the most of this time of great change and growth.