MARTHA GIPPRICH
3 GREAT BENEFITS OF READING TO YOUR NEWBORN
READING TO YOUR BABY It is never too early to start reading out loud to your baby. By the age of three, a child’s brain can grow up to 85%. Due to this, reading is an essential component of their development. Below you will find three benefits to reading to your newborn and why you will want to incorporate it into your daily routine.
MARTHAGIPPRICH.NET
CREATES A BOND BETWEEN PARENT AND CHILD The American Academy of Pediatrics encourages parents to start reading to their children in the early stages of infancy. Reading to your child on a daily basis can help to stimulate optimal patterns of brain development. During this time of early and critical development, reading allowed your infant can strengthen the parent-child relationship.
MARTHAGIPPRICH.NET
Reading at least a book a day to your baby can be a special time. By exposing your baby to the sound of your voice, you can instantly soothe and comfort. In one study published by the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, the relationship between reading and NICU babies was examined. When infants are taken to the NICU, often parental bonding goes on hold. However, it was revealed that parents who read to their baby while in the NICU, formed the same feelings of intimacy as parents with a healthy newborn who had been home for weeks. MARTHAGIPPRICH.NET
INCREASES LITERACY AND VOCABULARY Although your child might not yet understand what you are saying, he can notice the different tones, rhythm, and inflections in your voice. The more words you expose to your child, the more you will prepare him to read on his own. In fact, children's picture books contain 50 percent more unique words than a television show or a typical adult conversation. Dominic Massaro, a professor emeritus in psychology at the University of California, states that reading to your child is more effective to build children's vocabularies than by talking to them. MARTHAGIPPRICH.NET
STIMULATES SKILL DEVELOPMENT Reading to infants can stimulate multiple areas within your child's development. Not only can reading out loud increase literacy and vocabulary as mentioned above, but it has been linked to the development of cognitive thinking skills and listening skills. While your child may not always sit patiently through an entire story, his or her ability to concentrate will increase over time. Research finds that reading aloud helps to build brain synapses between new and old concepts. The combination of pictures and your voice can help introduce and implement concepts like letters, colors, and shapes in a fun way. MARTHAGIPPRICH.NET