Reading with your child is not only a great way to bond with them, but it is a great opportunity to increase language skills.
Language begins to develop while your child is in utero. Your child hears voices in the womb and soon after birth can recognize familiar voices and begins to focus on sounds specific to their native language. When read to, babies/toddler continue to grow in their receptive language skills by increasing their knowledge of linguistic rhythms and common phonemes. Reading with your child as they grow also helps to increase their overall exposure to language (vocabulary/structures/rhymes…etc.), engages their imaginations, and helps them learn about their world.
Tips for reading with your child:
- choose colorfully illustrated books and point to the pictures as your read
- choose books with lots of action and ask your child questions about what is happening
- be sure to set aside a consistent time to read with your child and talk about what your reading together
- use picture books (without text) and ask your child to tell the story
- while reading, ask your child to predict what may happen next in the story
- visit the library on a regular basis and search for fun interesting books with your child