The verdict is out and it seems as though bedtime stories are not just a fun activity that parents do with their kids. There are some major benefits of reading bedtime stories to babies, even if your child requests the same story for weeks on end. New research has emerged that further cement the case for the benefits of bedtime stories.
The American Academy of Pediatrics issued a statement that required all pediatricians to promote literacy, starting at birth. This statement has was not written lightly and included the recent research in favor of bedtime stories. Here is what the research suggests.
Previous research indicated that reading out loud to children was good for their development, but the extent and the details of the benefits were still somewhat hazy. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was used in a study and showed that kids who were read to when they were between the ages of 3 and 5 showed much more activity in the left hemisphere called the parietal-temporal-occipital association cortex.
This is an area that revolves around multi-sensory integration, integrating sound and visual stimulation. One of the reasons for this activity is that while the child is listening to the story, he or she is imagining the words and visually creating the story for themselves in their brains. The more the children are read to, the better their word and picture association will develop in later years.
As the ability to associate words with pictures develops, children are able to make better connections. Later in life, when they reach university, these skills will help them in their further education. College is a big step up from high school and many students are unable to grasp the content as it is complex and, in many cases, abstract. For the students who had the privilege of being read to while they were children, college is not that daunting.
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Parents might argue that their kids get the same type of stimulus when they watch educational cartoons. Although their vocabulary might improve as a result, the cartoons are not doing much for their creativity. When children watch cartoons, the story is already playing, which means that they do not have to create it on their own.
While reading a picture storybook, kids are forced to take the words that are read and the pictures on the page and make their own stories. As children grow older, this skill further develops and they find it easier to transition to books that do not have pictures. They become much more accustomed to forming images in their minds which improves their logical reasoning abilities and sharpens their mind for various other activities that need a lot of thoughtfulness.
It turns out that even though parents are reading children’s books to and with their children, the vocabulary in these books is very specific. Children who are read to tend to develop a much wider vocabulary. This is because children’s books and what parents speak are two different things.
Parents will speak with a particular vocabulary and the books will add to this library of words. Essentially what happens is that the children hear more words and while they are listening to the words, they also associate images with these words. A great vocabulary is needed in every sphere of life and to grow professionally. There really can’t be a better asset than having words ready as per the work needs.
One of the most underrated benefits of reading to children while they are still young is the social benefit. Children whose parents read to them experience security and comfort that is not mimicked easily. In this state of security, their attention is undivided and they take in more of what they hear. They enjoy, feel good about it, gain confidence and easily develop a love for reading books and school textbooks.
Author’s Bio:
Vendy Adams works for an online marketing agency where she is responsible for their PR division and handling Fortune 500 company accounts. She has a great love for writing and freelances part-time for a leading essay writing service for college students. Her free time is for listening to soft music, reading motivational books, and cycling.
