Did you know that there are 50% more rare words in children’s literature than in adult conversations? If everyday speech helps children acquire the fundamental set of words and expressions, unusual words can only be learned through reading. Writing uses more words than speaking, so children who are read often begin to use new words in communication with others. Their speech gradually becomes rich, literate, and rich. It is easier to put thoughts into words and form relationships when you have these skills. This is a significant advantage of reading for children.
Experts believe that youngsters learn vocabulary in an indirect way, such as through communication, cartoons, and books. Direct instruction is not an option. A large vocabulary is influenced by the amount of reading done rather than the spoken language.
Reading also can help if you are bilingual. For instance, if you are Frech you need to read French kid’s story bilingual books to your children and can work with every bilingual family such as Ukrainian. Nowadays, unfortunately, so many Ukrainian families go to another country to live and they definitely need Ukrainian children’s books to improve the second language they would like to learn.
Reading calms and gives a feeling of comfort.
Reading together strengthens the parent-child relationship. The love of books becomes another unifying factor. The book for the baby should be with pictures and describe situations familiar to the child. Among familiar things, he feels safe.
Teaches the difference between reality and fiction.
When reading, it is important to draw the child’s attention to the similarities and differences between reality and the book. For example: “Daddy Bear ate a barrel of honey for breakfast, but what do we eat for breakfast?”
Shows new ideas.
Reading introduces children to different stories and ideas. From books, they learn how to behave in different situations and try on the models of behavior of heroes. After you’ve finished reading the book, have the youngster tell you what he remembers. Or ask a few questions. This will ensure that the son or daughter fully comprehends the new plot or issue.
Helps to learn new skills.
- Handling books. Children learn to hold a book and turn pages from left to right.
- Imitation of the behavior of the reader. The child imitates the parent’s words and sounds while pretending to read.
- Understanding the plot of the story from the pictures. For example, my daughter’s favorite book at the age of one and a half is “Where is my duckling?”. Despite the linguistic barrier, the daughter flicks the pages enthusiastically in her search for the missing duckling.
Expands knowledge about the environment.
My kids love stories, especially about animals. And my son also likes books about technology, spaceships, trains, and tractors. With the help of books with catchy illustrations, children learn about the world around them long before they learn to read on their own.
To reinforce the results and enhance the benefits of reading for children, I often combine exposure to books with new life experiences for them. For example, I offer stories about animals before or after visiting the zoo, and stories about technology before a trip to the farm.
Thus, everything read is reflected in reality: the baby sees an object or a living being rarely or even for the first time, but it turns out that he has already heard a lot about him, considering a book with his mother. This fuels a desire to explore and a natural zest for life.
