“Pediatrics Group to Recommend Reading Aloud to Children From Birth,” is the title of an article by Motoko Rich published in the New York Times, June 24, 2014.
This Grandma has written blogs
suggesting that black and white books be given as new parent gifts. Newborns see black and white. This Grandma has recommended apps for babies to enhance reading skills. Now, the American Academy of Pediatrics is asking its members to also become advocates to recommend reading aloud to newborns and babies. Ms. Rich writes:
With the increased recognition that an important part of brain development occurs within the first three years of a child’s life, and that reading to children enhances vocabulary and other important communication skills, the group, which represents 62,000 pediatricians across the country, is asking its members to become powerful advocates for reading aloud, every time a baby visits the doctor.
“It should be there each time we touch bases with children,” said Dr. Pamela High, who wrote the new policy. It recommends that doctors tell parents they should be “reading together as a daily fun family activity” from infancy.
This is the first time the academy – which has issued recommendations on how long mothers should nurse their babies and advises parents to keep children away from screens until they are at least 2 – has officially weighed in on early literacy education.
The parents of our grandchildren already seem focused on how many words our
grandchildren could speak when they were toddlers. Now, Ms. Rich explains why:
Reading, as well as talking and singing, is viewed as important in increasing the number of words that children hear in the earliest years of their lives. Nearly two decades ago, an oft-cited study found that by age 3, the children of wealthier professionals have heard words millions more times than have those of less educated, low-income parents, giving the children who have heard more words a distinct advantage in school. New research shows that these gaps emerge as early as 18 months.
According to a federal government survey of children’s health, 60 percent of American children from families with incomes at least 400 percent of the federal poverty threshold – $95,400 for a family of four – are read to daily from birth to 5 years of age, compared with around a third of children from families living below the poverty line, $23,850 for a family of four.
Ms. Rich discusses the difference between exposure to technology and reading aloud to babies and young children:
With parents of all income levels increasingly handing smartphones and tablets to babies, who learn how to swipe before they can turn a page, reading aloud may be fading into the background.
“The reality of today’s world is that we’re competing with portable digital media,” said Dr. Alanna Levine, a pediatrician in Orangeburg, N.Y. “So you really want to arm parents with tools and rationale behind it about why it’s important to stick to the basics of things like reading.
Reading aloud is sharing human expression, nuance and meanings and Creativity. Words let you Think. Kids need this experience.
This Grandma says reading with children and grandchildren has even more benefits.
Reading aloud to babies and children creates a warm and close bond between parent and child and sets a pattern of reading as a lifetime activity. Bedtime story time is a ritual that winds down the day and signals quiet time and sleep. This Grandma likes to see the parents of our grandchildren reading in front of the grandchildren showing them everyone reads at a all ages. Reading as a daily activity with babies and toddlers passes time and does increase the vocabulary of our grandchildren.
We grandparents do not want to see reading limited to babies and toddlers. Reading is important for all our grandchildren, of any age. Books are a great visit present. Books can be silly and funny. I have bought books of jokes and books of gross things for my early and middle elementary school age children and the younger siblings and cousins love being read aloud to by the older children. A new book I found for the oldest grandchild has been requested by the younger ones and challenges them too to read themselves: “You Gotta Be Kidding!: The Wacky book of Mind-Boggling Questions.” click here to buy.
So where can you find books to buy?
This Grandma checks the New York Times best seller lists for new children’s books. I look for and buy the Oppenheimer Toy Award winning books recommended at Toy Portfolio.
Caldecott Awards books are always the best.
For newborns and babies, this Grandma loves the black and white books.
I always like Dr. Seuss books for reading aloud to babies and toddlers because of the rhyming and repetition makes it easy to read over and over again when the toddler says “more.” After 40 years, I can still remember the words of many of the books.
Grandma reading with a grandchild is a great quiet activity when we are exhausted running around with and after baby and older grandchildren too. Bringing a new book as a visit present is an inexpensive way to create a grandma and grandchild experience and create a love for reading aloud together too with
Joy,
Mema
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