We've known for a while that reading to children is a great way to help kids learn how to read for themselves.
But recent research also suggests that storytime has other benefits as well. Here are four of the main reasons that reading to children — especially when you do it regularly — could be crucial:
1. It stimulates parts of the brain associated with visual processing.
A recent study highlighted by The New York Times found increased activity in the areas of children's brains associated with processing images, suggesting that even when kids aren't the ones reading, they are picturing the places they're hearing about.
"When kids are hearing stories, they're imagining in their mind's eye," John S. Hutton, a clinical research fellow at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and the lead author of the paper, told The Times.
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A recent study highlighted by The New York Times found increased activity in the areas of children's brains associated with processing images, suggesting that even when kids aren't the ones reading, they are picturing the places they're hearing about.
"When kids are hearing stories, they're imagining in their mind's eye," John S. Hutton, a clinical research fellow at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and the lead author of the paper, told The Times.
More
How could a good parent not read to their babies? Before reading was a common thing, mothers and fathers would tell children stories from memory, passed down through generations. They usually had a moral, and little kids learned that these were valuable tools for life, delivered by the people they most trusted and felt closest to. It was bonding, it was bringing kids up with honor and respect for those who went before and those around them.
ReplyDeleteLove your comment, 3:48.
ReplyDeleteReading is the best thing one can do to increase their IQ.
ReplyDeleteTake your kids to the library. Let them choose books. Guide them. Read to them.
ReplyDelete