Build a blanket fort with cosy blankets and snuggle in it with your child… It’s story-time! Reading picture books together has plenty of benefits for your little one but letting them choose the picture book and which page to start on is even more beneficial.
Discovering the visual universe of books can work wonders: from long-term emotional and cognitive benefits, developing focus and concentration to stimulating language development, thereby ensuring happy and healthy growth.
Here are some steps to introduce reading as a fun activity:
- Look at picture books together.
- Point at things and name them.
- Look out for what they’re interested in and talk about it, providing more information.
- Play games, animate your face and make gestures. Do your best animal impressions, they will love it!
- They might want to start “reading” from the last page, because there is something at the very end. Don’t stop them; in fact, give in to their demands.
- Choose a picture book over an electronic screen. The shared, interpersonal experience between you and your little one is so much better without a screen.
- When they are older and their ability for visual imagination evolves, they’ll be able to follow a story without needing the pictures, although they’ll still enjoy looking at them.
- Change it up as some children enjoy free storytelling while others like the predictability of hearing a story read out loud.
Remember everything starts in the tummy…when they feel right, they can enjoy growing up happy!