A bookworm, /ˈbʊkwəːm/, refers to a person who reads a lot. Raising Young Readers guides the parent or adult reader on ways to aid the child to fall in love with books right from birth. Some people may be born bookworms, and others are made/taught to become bookworms. The importance of incorporating the habit of reading into the life of a little child cannot be emphasized enough. There are more advantages to this than not. Taking a keen step to exposing your little ones to a world of books will pay off in the long run.
My Experience
My husband and I exposed both our children to books within the first month of their births. I still recall the very first book that I bought towards this aim – a Barney and Friends book which was inexpensive. It was a paperback children’s book, with small-print and normal paper pages; nothing extraordinary. I purchased this book even before our first child was born. A few months after our daughter’s birth, I became aware of the type of book that I should have bought – a hardcover story book, with attractive pictures!
This awareness was imposed by my work experience in a Montessori toddler environment. Let’s just say, I noticed that paperback books rarely made it till the end of the term in one piece, unlike their hardcover counterpart! With this knowledge, I intentionally shopped for hardcover storybooks for my children. From about 6 months old, by way of sensory exploration, I freely let them feel the texture of the pages and let them hold the book if they wanted to do so.
One of our favourites was a basic children’s book which had one animal per page. I would point to the animal, name it while tracing it out with my finger and make the animal sound. For example, “Cow, moo”. We did this for months, just before bedtime. Before long, by the time my baby girl was about 9 months old, she had gotten used to the animals and their sounds, so much that she joined me in “reading”. It was beautiful to watch her “read” so I continued. Overtime, she started naming the animal and making their sounds, sometimes even before we flipped onto the next page.
Between the ages of 1-3 years old, both children had accumulated joint favourites, such as pop-up peekaboo! Bedtime; pop-up peekaboo! Unicorn; Dinosaur sleepover and numerous Bible stories.
We encourage books by reading to both of them and watch as their interests mature. At 3 years old, our daughter’s current favourite book is The Beginner’s Bible: Timeless Children’s Stories. It was one of her last birthday gifts from daddy and mommy and she loves it. She does not forget to read a story each night. Here are some key reasons why you should read to your little one everyday.
Advantages of reading to your littles ones
- Bonding time: reading together creates a strong bond between you, the reader, and your child, thereby promoting emotional connection and security.
- Language development: reading to young children exposes them to a variety of words, helping to expand their vocabulary and improve their language skills.
- Cognitive development: it stimulates their imagination and cognitive abilities, fostering creativity and critical thinking skills.
- Preparation for school: reading lays the foundation for literacy skills, making it easier for children to learn to read and write when they reach school age.
- Exposure to concepts: books are like nature, they introduce children to new ideas, concepts, and experiences, broadening their understanding of the world around them.
- Routine and comfort: Reading before bedtime can become a comforting routine, helping children relax and prepare for sleep.
Challenges
These included short attention span bouts from my little ones. While I understood that this was normal at their age, it was sometimes challenging to keep my little ones engaged in a book for long periods. To this end, I kept reading short by reading just a page or two. Do not try to force your child to sit still; that’s breeding room for frustration for all parties involved. Another con of reading to young children relates to the potential for overstimulation. An overstimulated child might feel confused. Again, keep it simple Mom! Lastly, be aware that the books are at a risk of damage by these little people who may not yet understand how to handle books gently.
Recap on tips for raising a Bookworm:
- Read every day – preferably at night, to help your baby relax before lights out.
- Buy hardcover story books – they will last longer (also invest in waterproof/bath books which are conveniently fun for bath time).
- Ensure that the books are relevant to the times/generation. You can’t go wrong with universal books, and maybe a classic or two.
- Invest in age and level appropriate books which will increase fascination and keep your little one’s concentration most of the time.
- Get used to reading the same book or story over and over again, like a broken record or for as long as your child is interested in it.
Medically-based Fact
Check out this short video by HSE Ireland, on the importance of storytelling with young children, which summarizes all I’ve written so far.
Overall, the benefits of reading to young children typically outweigh its challenges. However, for an enjoyable reading session, it’s important for parents or the reader to approach reading sessions with patience and understanding. As such, consider that the type of book used is appropriate for the child’s age and level.
Reference
Cambridge Dictionary. 2024. Bookworm. Accessed on 19 March 2024. Available at: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/bookworm
Dictionary.com. 2024. Paperback vs. Hardcover. Accessed on 18 March 2024. Available at: https://www.dictionary.com/compare-words/paperback-vs-hardcover
HSE Ireland. 2022. Telling stories with children – infant mental health. Accessed on 18 March 2024. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bT86eV1cFoE
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