The importance of having reading habits
We often ask ourselves: does reading/watching books with a baby make sense? If yes, since when?
The answer is simple: forever, since birth!
At any age, books are essential for a child's growth.
As human beings, we read since we are born: when we observe, when we imitate our peers, when we see images, letters or numbers. We are always reading!
The stage between 0 and 6 years old is fundamental for growth and lifelong learning. With the books, we work on different areas of development: sensory, motor, cognitive, social/emotional and language.
Here are some tips on the importance of books and reading as a routine in child development between 0 and 6 years old.
0-2 years
Development of oral language and its perspectives: pick up the book, point, name out loud, repeat. These activities will allow the child, whatever their stage of development, but especially a baby, to actively listen and construct meanings, connect emotionally with the book object and the adult who manipulates it, begin to understand and differentiate various levels of reading: images, symbols, spelling… By always doing this, we are creating readers!
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From 2 years old
Communication – non-verbal and verbal – begins to take shape and books that present a simple narrative, linked to everyday life and with interactive elements are excellent partners for working on developing these skills.
To make it easier, the adult can and should start by reading the text, but stop at each double page to observe and name what they are seeing, starting a dialogue with the child.
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Preschool
It is true that a child's curiosity is innate and natural! From the moment your verbal language is cemented, this curiosity becomes even more evident. Adults can explore it through the use of non-fiction books, with questions and answers, for example.
We often have the idea that reading a non-fiction book is a daytime task, but they are excellent for the bedtime routine: they encourage dialogue, which makes the child feel heard and in total connection with the adult, therefore, safer before bed; they allow the child to choose the topic they will read/cover that night, giving them autonomy and decision-making power; they open the door to the child about what a school learning practice will be - questioning, consulting, understanding and concluding.
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Article by Edicare Editora
