Reading is one key to the optimal intellectual development of children. Some parents think it is not worth reading stories to babies before 2 or 3 years. However, some specialists recommend starting children in reading from their sixth month of life. In this way, they are accustomed to listening and are encouraged to speak.
Benefits of reading to infants and toddlers
Parents, along with educators, are primarily responsible for familiarizing children with books and starting them on the wonderful creativity of reading.
Books, their stories, are the perfect tool for them to know their surroundings and the world around them, as well as teach them values and improve their education.
Develop mind
Therefore, they are fundamental for their development, and the sooner we start reading them a story, the sooner they will start in the fascinating world of language, which will also allow them to learn to express themselves correctly in the future.
The recommended age to start your child in reading is from 6 months, according to The American Academy of Pediatrics. Do not forget that this criterion is always indicative.
Improve attention
If the parents observe that the baby at this age does not emit any sound, does not respond to his name or does not take objects could have some alteration in its development. If you are worried about its evolution, consult the alert table and discuss it with the pediatrician.
At first, babies don’t pay much attention to the content. Rather they use books as a game or a toy. At this stage, some parents, when they observe that their child is not interested in reading, give up reading books until the child does not get a little older.
Psychomotor development increases
Although it seems that you don’t pay much attention to them, your baby is beginning to become familiar with books. And when playing with them, their psychomotor development is being stimulated since they take them, grab them, take them to their mouths …
One tip to get your attention is to interact with the baby. Parents should not just sit the child in their lap. It is important to point out the objects and describe the figures that appear in the books. For example: ” look at the sun high in the sky. It is round and yellow .”
Develop curiosity
There are different types of baby books that, above all, differ in their materials, but also in their content. In the market, we can find cloth books filled with foam rubber, books made of cardboard, plastic books that float on the water, and books with sounds and different textures.
Later, when the children are young, we can get their curiosity aroused and little by little, they will want to know more about the fun adventures of their favorite characters or about the theme of the different stories.
