“If every parent…read aloud a minimum of three stories a day to the children in their lives, we could wipe out illiteracy in one generation”.

Laura Bush (2001); First Lady, mother and former public school teacher and librarian

Every child deserves to realise his or her dreams. From the crib to the classroom, it is essential that children have parents, teachers and others in their life that prepare them for success in school and in life.

Reading together has tremendous results. Children who are read to by an adult learn two things: First that reading is worthwhile, and second, that they are worthwhile.

Cuddling together with a book is “doing much more than providing comfort and education – it is paving the way for learning and success in school.”

As parents, the most important thing we can do is read to our children early and often. Reading is the path to success in school and in life. When children learn to love books, they learn to love learning.

All children should start school with the advantage that comes from fun, early language and reading activities with parents and caring adults.

If we talk and listen to children; read with them, surround them with books, then we help them establish the skills, knowledge, and confidence that will help prepare them for life.

We know that children who have poor beginning reading skills often struggle throughout their school careers. Children who start school behind, often stay behind. We can reverse that trend.

Education experts agree that we should incorporate stronger pre-reading and vocabulary activities in pre-kindergarten programs.

Reading scores in the tenth grade can be predicted with accuracy based on a child’s knowledge of the alphabet in kindergarten. 

Dr Robert Titzer; Infant learning researcher, creator of “Your Baby Can Read!” video series. California based

Babies and toddlers are better at learning language then their older peers.

If babies are exposed to language frequently before the age of three, they will not only learn to read, they will become skilled at learning itself.

Active reading, especially when accompanied by sounds, pictures, character voices and physical actions, significantly increases the number and type of neural pathways the brain develops.

New breakthroughs in the study of brain development indicate that the best time to begin reading to little ones is when they are in between the ages of 3 months and 3 years.

Reading to your little ones, and helping them learn to read themselves, is one of the most significant things parents can do to ensure their child’s success in life.

A Commission on Literacy study (Philadelphia-based) “reported that little ones whose caregivers read to them consistently were more emotionally stable and far more likely to achieve academic and work success later in life.”

There’s a window of opportunity for language adoption that starts closing around age four.

“The Scientist in the Crib: Minds, Brains and How Children Learn"

William Morrow, 1999; Co-Written by: Alison Gopnik; cognitive psychologist, Andrew Meltzoff, infant psychology, Patricia Kuhl, language development

Do you know that your baby is smarter than you? Children between the ages of newborn to three learn more through daily interactions than in any other age bracket.

The ideal situation for toddlers and infants would be to have several caring adults who play with the baby regularly in a rich physical environment.

Building Babies' Intelligence: Why Infant Stimulation is Important

These first years are a very important and pivotal time for developing a young brain. This intense period of brain growth and network building happens only once in a lifetime. We as parents have a brief but golden opportunity to help our babies stimulate the formation of brain circuitry.

Fascinating facts researchers have discovered:

• Babies have a biological need and desire to learn

• The foundational networking of the brains synapses is nearly complete after the rapid brain development of the first three years

• The more stimulating experiences you can give your baby means the more circuitry that is built for enhanced learning in the future

• The amount of connections in the brain can increase or decrease by 25% depending on the environment and stimulation

• Visual stimulation can produce developmental advantages including enhanced curiosity, attentiveness and concentration

Why Babies Need to Read: Kathleen Odean

Very young babies can recognise the sounds in complex words; reading helps to nurture their hunger for knowledge.

Studies demonstrate the child’s first three years of life are crucial for acquiring language. Scientists now know that children as young as eight months old can can remember the sounds in difficult words like hornbill and python, two of the words used in a language experiment at John Hopkins University.

The fact that babies are constantly soaking in language makes it vital for parents, grandparents and caregivers to read to them.

The Development of the Human Brain: Implications for Parenting in the Early Years

Claudia Quigg, Executive Director, Baby Talk

An infant's experiences actually develop their brain. A lack of sensory experiences (hearing, seeing, touching, feeling, tasting) results in brain cells failing to make connections and eventually dying off. Unfortunately, these connections must be made in infancy. A person cannot go back and 'redo' these experiences.

Research concluded that "you can change your baby's IQ measure in different ways, as much as 20 points up or down, based on their environment. In essence, an infant born with a 100 IQ can either become an 80 IQ or a 120 IQ by his fourth birthday based on the poverty or enrichment of his experience base!"

Child’s Play: Geraldine Dawson, Psychologist

Scientists have found that a baby’s experiences – whether he’s happy, whether he hears a lot of music or speech, gets hugs and eye contact – actually change the physiological development of his brain – the quality and quantity of the electrical wiring between cells. And the better they’re wired, the better his life will likely be.

It is important what the baby sees, hears and whether the emotions the baby feels are happy or unhappy.

Scientists studied the difference between the brains of infants whose mothers are happy and the brains of infants whose mothers were depressed. They found that in the children of happy mothers the region of the brain specified for joy showed considerable neural activity. But the brains of children with depressed mothers looked different.

These experiences can determine whether children grow up to be peaceful or violent citizens, focused or undisciplined workers, attentive or detached parents themselves

Brain Wonders

How is looking at pictures in a book related to literacy development? Looking at and recognising pictures in a book are beginning early literacy skills that can eventually lead to language, reading and writing development. Research has shown that exposure to books and stories from an early age gives children the building blocks they need to develop into readers and writers.

Babies who are read to and hear stories from an early age often begin to associate books and stories with positive interactions with caregivers. A baby begins to learn that books and stories can be comforting, fun and interesting. These positive feelings about books are critical to literacy learning. 

Begin with Babies: Unspecified researcher

Read, read, read and read some more to your children, beginning when they are infants. Children who are fed a steady diet of books throughout their lives are children who become excellent readers and lovers of literature. 

The power of reading books to your children can not be underestimated! Children treasure special times snuggled   up with a book, and their brains thrive and learn with each book that is read.

Statistics show that children who like reading will do much better at school than those who are unfamiliar with books. Babies read to from birth are more likely to be happy and enthusiastic readers.

If your children are beyond the infant stage, it is never too late to start reading. Find creative times to read to reluctant children – you can read aloud to them while they do the dishes!

What do babies think about while you read to them? Babies are very visual learners and enjoy focusing on colourful pictures and photos, even though they don’t understand what the pictures represent. They also thrive on the rhythm of your voice and human interaction.

Babies who are read to from an early age begin to make positive associations with books and stories. Babies can learn that books can be fun, comforting and interesting. These positive experiences are critical to literacy learning.

There is biological evidence that a child’s environment and nurture has a powerful impact on a child’s developmental potential. We need to ensure our children are surrounded by positive emotions and interactions. Take the time to smile and laugh with your child every day!

Reading colourful books to babies produces long-term benefits. The visual stimulation in a picture book gives a baby enhanced curiosity, attentiveness and concentration that lasts with them through their schooling.

It is so important to spend some quality time with your baby everyday. Your baby is craving your voice, your touch and stimulation from the world. Set aside ten minutes each day to give your baby your undivided attention.

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