Let’s Talk About Books and Language Development!
Books are so wonderful! Not only are they a fantastic way to spend time bonding with your child, but they also are critical in helping your child(ren) build strong language skills. Let’s talk about some of the ways that reading books with your children can help support their language development:
- Children learn when they are interested in what is being said to them. Be sure to choose books that are fun and engaging. Holding your child’s attention is key. When deciding on a book to read, look for bright colors, great illustrations, and a topic that interests your child.
- Children need to hear many words and they need to hear them often. Books are a great way to introduce your child to new vocabulary. Books will often contain words that your child is unfamiliar with, giving them the opportunity to attach meaning to new words. While reading the same book over and over may be tedious to us adults, it is a great way to allow your child to hear the same words many times so that they are able to secure them to their ever-growing vocabulary.
- Grammar and vocabulary are learned together. Books are filled with grammatically correct sentences that introduce new vocabulary. Grammar and vocab help each other develop and are learned alongside one another. Learning new words in sentences that are grammatically correct is the most efficient way for your child to learn language.
- Be positive and explain and expand on ideas. Children learn best when interactions and conversations are positive. When reading with your child, take the opportunity to explain the meaning of new words, answer their questions and expand on their ideas. Be animated and act out what you are reading to them. Point to the pictures and use your voice and gestures to help tell a story.
- Have fun and cuddle up! Enjoy this special time with your child. Sharing a good book is such an incredible way to bond with your child!
Here are some of our favorite books to read to young children. Remember, look for books that include some, or all, of the following: repetition, rhyming, new vocabulary, and something that will hold your child’s interest!
For toddlers, we love anything by Sandra Boynton
For school age, we love anything by Mo Willems
