“Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body“
– Joseph Addison
Inculcating a love for reading is probably one of the best gifts you can give your child. Kids who have early exposure to language surely have an edge. Not only will you be laying the foundation for literacy but you will be nurturing and molding the impressionable mind in more ways than one. The thought process is sharpened and attention span is increased. The rich visual imagery triggers imagination and faculties of thinking and understanding. The reading habit stands you in good stead when you are alone, when you are older and when you want to spend time by yourself.
I can look back to my childhood days and remember lazy summer afternoons curling up with a storybook lost in the mysteries and adventures of kids and their group of friends. I wished too for my child to feel the same pleasure, the same joy that came from imagination and ideas.
It’s never too early to start the reading habit in a toddler. My kid was hardly 10 months when I would read out some stories where the main character was a scarecrow called Poldy. While she would enjoy these reading sessions, I had my doubts on how much she was listening and comprehending. Till one day I asked her whether we can read more about Poldy……..and she promptly picked out the right book from her set of toys, books and baby stuff.
And this was a kid who could barely walk. So all these minds need is the right stimuli to set them going!
Take your toddler along to pick up books at a library. In this way at a very young age you are setting the grounds for choosing books and keeping them well. This makes a child comfortable with books and that is the first step towards a lifelong habit of reading. If you are in the habit of picking up a book yourself, you are more likely to influence your child. After all such values are imbibed, not taught.
Try and read as often as you can to your child. While some parents fix up a schedule such as bedtime or before naptime, it’s a matter or preference and convenience. With toddlers, any time is ‘learning time’.
Don’t be surprised if the toddler wishes to read the same book for days on end. You might tire of the story and may want to move on but your little one might insist on the same narration. Stories provide ample opportunities for questions, songs and plenty of visual stimuli. Ask the child to find out some pictures or even some oft-repeated words on a page.
Besides all these advantages that a child can secure from regular reading sessions, the innate sense of relaxation and security he or she feels with your undivided attention is worth all the effort. Both of you will look back on those happy moments that will last a lifetime.