Whether it's the end of the day, before an afternoon nap or on the train, reading a story with your child is the perfect way of spending some relaxing time together. Discovering a story together is not only good for strengthening your bond, but it also has many other advantages. Every single child benefits from the positive effects of being read to. Are you not used to reading aloud, and are you unsure where to start? We'd like to give you some useful tips.
Why is reading aloud good for my child?
Reading a story together has many benefits for your baby and child. That's right, I said 'baby'. The earlier you start reading stories, acting them out or singing songs, the better. Experiences with stories from an early age has a positive effect on their later life.
Even when your child can read themselves, reading to them is still important. In doing so, you provide continuity in your child's literary development. And it's also great fun! Just think of all those audiobooks that even many adults are still fans of, or podcasts.
The biggest benefit is advanced language development. Babies, toddlers and preschoolers who have had stories read to them from an early age, develop a head start on language development. They get a better feel for language and more extensive language comprehension.
A few other benefits are:
- Concentration: young children improve their listening skills and train their ability to concentrate. For excitable children, storytime is often also a moment of rest.
- Social and emotional development: experiencing a story together enhances the personal relationship between the reader and the child. By exploring different stories, children also learn what it's like to experience different situations. This is good for their social development.
- Imagination: stories are perfect for stimulating children's imagination. Have them make up their own ending to the story or ask them what they think will happen next.
- Reading for pleasure: by making storytime a positive and fun experience for children, you automatically stimulate their desire to read.
What's the best way to do this?
- Find a cosy spot to read stories together
You can set up part of the room as a reading nook, or you can simply read your story when your baby or child is already tucked into bed. - Find your own storytime style
Everyone is different and everyone has their own way of reading stories aloud.- Do you like to improvise? Then you can use picture books where you can make up the story yourself.
- Or are you musically inclined? Then why not perform the story as a song.
- Would you rather follow a script? Then it is best to choose a book with text or with accompanying text. Read it beforehand, so you know where the key moments in the story are, and where it's best to add some emphasis and expression.
- There are plenty of other ways to make storytime work for you. Experiment until you find the best way.
- Find a fun book
Once you know how you prefer to do storytime, you can start looking for a fun book to read together with your child. Find one that- is appropriate for your baby or child's age. A book that relates to your child's environment, questions, or fears is perfect.
- fits within your own reading aloud skills.
- matches what you like to do as a reader, such as elaborate stories, mimicking sounds, playing and searching, or singing.
Reading a book together with your children after a long day is one of those cosy little moments that Yumi Yay cherishes. And just like children, the Yumi Yay friends all have their own personalities, fears and preferences. Billy doesn't like taking baths, for example, Otti is often scared despite his size, Tika is an incorrigible joker and Finn doesn't like tidying up. These are all themes that sound familiar to many parents.
Discover all the Yumi Yay stories now!