Early Literacy – Why Reading In Early Childhood Is Crucial
Whether you’re reading nursery rhymes, classic fiction or timeless fairy tales to your little one, there’s nothing imaginary about the advantages of reading in the early years. The benefits are real and early exposure to the written word has lifelong consequences.
When you consider that the average baby’s brain doubles in size in their first year, grows to around 80% of adult size by the time the child is three and is nearly full grown by the time the child reaches five years, it’s abundantly clear how critically important these foundation years are.
These early years are the time to establish building blocks which support the child’s healthy growth and development. It’s when we need to foster important skills and lay the groundwork for their holistic health and wellbeing which sets them up for future success. And it’s definitely the time to nurture and encourage their natural curiosity and instil a lifelong love of learning.
Why a strong start in language and literacy skills is so important
Literacy is possibly the single most important skill that parents and caregivers can nurture in the child’s early years. Why? Because a strong start in literacy and language skills supports a child’s healthy development in countless ways which set them up for success not only at school, but throughout their lives.
Early literacy helps a child communicate more effectively. It helps them express and understand their feelings. It helps them develop relationships. It also supports their cognitive development and puts them on a path to reading and writing which are fundamental to early education and school readiness.
Early literacy gives young children the tools they need to develop and grow and it can ignite a lifelong thirst, quest and love for learning. You may find this article on literacy in early school useful as background to this discussion.
Let’s take a closer look at why reading is so important in a child’s formative years.
Five reasons why books and reading should be a priority for young children
Reading supports brain development
We know that reading and storytelling stimulate those parts of the brain which are responsible for literacy and language development, but a recent research study that was the first to provide actual neurobiological evidence for the potential benefits of reading on a preschool child’s brain development brings the need to read into even sharper focus.
This study demonstrated that reading to babies and young children stimulates and strengthens the connections in their brains. The more we read to them and with them, the greater the likelihood of healthy brain development.
Reading can ignite and nurture a lifelong love of learning
Reading can set your child up for success.
Here at Treasured Tots, we passionately believe that every child is born with a natural curiosity – and reading is one of the most powerful ways that we can nurture and support their imaginations and innate desire to discover the world.
When a child is exposed to books and reading from a very young age, improvements are seen in their ability to concentrate, their general knowledge, their vocabulary, their comprehension, their oral skills and their research skills. All of these things have a knock-on effect on their performance at school and consequently on their self-esteem and confidence and can help to nurture a lifelong love of learning.
Reading leads to improved oral and writing skills
Does your heart sink when your child begs you to read the same story again and again and again? We know that reading is great for promoting vocabulary and early literacy skills, but is there a benefit when you and your child know the words off by heart?
The fact is that children like familiarity and this repetition is beneficial (even if it makes you want to nod off!). Younger children need longer to decode, interpret and remember information (they also forget faster), so repeated exposure to a book or story helps both their comprehension and retention of information.
But it’s not just repeated exposure to a particular book that makes a difference. Regular exposure to reading from an early age in general leads to improved communication and writing skills.
Reading teaches a child new words and linguistic techniques and it exposes them to different perspectives. It also helps them develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills.
The greater their exposure to reading at a young age, the greater the likelihood they’ll have stronger spelling and grammar skills and be better at sentence structure in both their oral and written communication.
In short, good readers make good writers and good writers are good readers – so start early!
Reading to your child boosts their emotional development
Experts agree that early exposure to reading is crucial in terms of a child’s functional literacy and their academic achievement, but it’s worthwhile taking a deeper look at the powerful influence that reading has on a child’s emotional wellbeing.
When a young child struggles at school, it can lead to feelings of distress, inadequacy and anxiety. Their self-confidence can take a knock.
When you read to your little ones from an early age and make it a fun activity that they look forward to, you can help improve their competencies and foster a love of reading and learning. They’ll feel better about themselves and feel more secure and self-confident.
Early reading can also help a child:
Develop a sense of empathy
Learn listening skills
Discover the world and things that interest them
A last word on why reading is crucial in early childhood
Just as reading is a vital and much-loved part of our daily routine here at Treasured Tots, you should include it in your daily routine at home too. Your child will love the special time with you and the benefits to their healthy development are numerous, significant and lifelong.
If you are investigating early learning centres in Perth, we welcome you to get in touch with Treasured Tots. We have five childcare centres in Mandurah, Bibra Lake, Fremantle, Piara Waters, Hamersley, Bennett Springs and Bicton which provide high-quality childcare and kindergarten programmes for children between the ages of 0 and 5 and we’d love to show you around one of our ‘homes away from home’. Book a tour of any of our wonderful centres to ensure our friendly management team is available to show you around and answer any questions. We look forward to meeting you!