Teach the Love of Reading

Superbaby Book Highlights, Part 2: Language Development
(Read Part 1 here)

-Dr. Berman spends at least a chapter on the importance of talking to your child. It may sound obvious, but it's not. The idea is to look for opportunities to talk to your child. Let him/her gab and then take turns. This teaches conversational skills. She lists tips for encouraging language.

-Use sign language. We have been attempting to use signs to communicate since Ellie was fairly young. Now that she has picked up on a few (she understands most of the ones I do to her, but she only signs a few back) it has already eased our communication. The sign for "more" has become Ellie's sign for food. Whenever she's ready for a snack or to eat she signs "more". She also uses the sign when she's out of food on her plate and wants more. We also sign "all done" and "water" and "eat." We've been slowly adding to this list, signing "bath" and "sleep" and "ball," but I admit we haven't been as consistent with these. Instead of whining or grunting, Ellie can now sign and communicate with me which leaves us both much less frustrated. I love it and can't wait to use more signs. Signing has also been shown to increase vocabulary and to help children acquire speech earlier, have higher IQ scores, and enhances brain development. What's not to love? (If you have concerns, she addresses many of the common myths about using baby sign language in the book).

-The most important thing I believe I can do for my child: READ! I cringe when parents use reading as a punishment. How do we teach children to love reading when it becomes a dread? As a parent I need to model my own enjoyment of reading as well. We have literally been reading to Ellie since she was in utero. (We received this Dr. Suess book, Oh, Baby, the Places You'll Go: A Book to be Read in Utero, and loved it!)

We read multiple books before every nap and bedtime. Ellie can sit in our lap and look at books for long periods of time. We point out the animals and make the noises and touch the fuzzy books. Not only is it teaching her to enjoy books and reading, it's wonderful bonding time as well. Kids who are read to have better vocabulary, better attention span and memory, are better listeners, have better reading and writing skills in school, and are more creative and imaginative, to name a few benefits.

Studies have shown that people who live in poverty who can't afford expensive schools or preschools or other benefits of the middle and upper class can still do one thing more than anything else to give their children a head start: read to them! It seems so basic yet for so many people it's not a given that their children will be read to.

I love this quote, which applies to so much more than simply reading:

"What we teach children to love and desire will always outweigh what we make them learn." (Jim Trelease, The Read-Aloud Book)

So, model reading and teach your children to love books!

I'm excited to write about the next topic, but it will be a bit controversial for some: screen time (computers, TV) and babies.