Babies, books, and school success

toddler-slide1What do babies and books have to do with school success? Research tells us surprising things about young children and reading.  Children who have larger vocabularies when they enter kindergarten become better readers. In the very early years, babies begin building this catalog of words. Where do these new words come from? Books of course!

When we speak we use a very limited number of words. We may fragment our sentences or drop off the ends of our thoughts. When we read to our babies, they hear rich, descriptive words we rarely use in conversation. Children easily connect these words to the pictures and to real experiences. This helps the young child’s vocabulary grow.

Pick up a favorite children’s book and read to your baby. Talk about the pictures. Soon you will find your child reading in the most unusual of places. Think of it as setting a foundation for college graduation!

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