B is for Books

Next week is an important week for me both as a pediatrician as well as a parent. Week of the Young Child starts April 11^th-17^th and this year’s theme is Early Years are Learning Years. In its report, “Becoming a Nation of Readers”, The National Commission on Reading states:

“The single most important activity for building the knowledge required for eventual success is reading aloud to children.”

Sometimes reading to a young child can be frustrating. They may not sit for very long and seem not to understand, however it does pay off later. When I first started reading to my son, he had a very short attention span. He explored his books by eating them. I wondered if he was really interested in reading. My surprise came when he was 11 months old and he handed me a picture book from his bookcase. He pointed to a brightly colored object and said, “Ball”. This was his first word and a moment I will never forget. 

A Book for Every Child

Each child has their own type of book according to their age and level of development.

Infants

By six months of age, your baby should be able to sit with support and this is a good time to start reading to your child. For infants, look for durable “board” books (the kind with hard pages) with pictures of familiar objects and patterns with strong colors. Tip: They love baby faces. Reading suggestion: Baby Faces™ Series by Scholastic.

Toddlers

Because toddlers are starting to form short sentences, they love rhymes and repetitive phrases that they can expect and repeat also. At this age, especially, they may not sit for very long but keep trying everyday. Tip: They love routines and repetition. Reading suggestion: Hush! by Minfong Ho (Scholastic).

Preschoolers

Preschoolers usually like books about kids of their age, making friends and going to school. Exposing preschoolers to books before they start kindergarten is extremely important. Studies have shown that if a child is not a good reader by the end of 1^st grade, the chances of them catching up by 12^th grade are very low. Tip: They love to imagine and listen to silly stories. Ask them if something is silly and why. Reading suggestion: Silly Sally by Audrey Wood (Harcourt/Red Wagon).

How do I choose the right books? Every child has their own favorite kind of book-our job is to find it and nurture it.  An individual child may like classic children’s books while another child may simple enjoy reading about animals and nature. Make use of the professionals in your community to offer suggestions.

Tip: Booksellers, librarians, and teachers are always delighted to assist in the task of finding books for children.

Books, especially for children, are meant to encourage a joy in reading. Snuggling with your baby as you look at the picture books teaches her to associate reading with comfort. As your child grows, she will start pointing and associating pictures with words. As her coordination improves, she will start making marks on the page, a critical stage in reading readiness. By age 5 to 6 years old, you will be reading chapter books and she will be sounding words of her own. It’s a wonderful journey to take along with your child. 

Remember These Three Little Tips…

1^st Tip: When you begin reading aloud to a baby, you will only be able to keep your baby's attention for a few minutes. That's normal.

2^nd Tip: As children grow up and their attention span increases, they like longer stories.

3^rd Tip: Doctor’s Prescription Reading – At least one dose of reading for 20 minutes every day.

Let’s make a commitment to read with our children. April 12^th is the National Drop Everything and Read Day (D.E.A.R). I am going to tell all my patients and everyone in my family to “Drop Everything and Read!” not just on April 12^th but everyday! You can read anywhere: at home, at the park, waiting to pick up mom or dad at the metro. If you want to make April 12^th a more special reading day, go to the library or bookstore. Any way you do it, your child will remember it and thank you.

P.S. If you want to make a pledge to read aloud to your child,  check out Mem Fox's ten commandments of reading aloud. Print it out and post it on your fridge.
http://www.memfox.com/ten-read-aloud-commandments.html