Reading books, sharing stories, talking, and singing every day helps your child’s development in many ways.
Reading and storytelling can:
- help your child get to know sounds, words and language, and develop early literacy skills
- introduce your child to the value of books and stories
- spark your child’s imagination and curiosity
- promote your child’s brain development and ability to focus and concentrate
- help your child build social, communication and emotional skills
- help your child learn about the world, their own culture, and other cultures.
Reading stories with children has benefits for you too. The special time you spend reading together promotes bonding and builds your relationship with your child.
Reading isn’t the only way to help with your child’s language and literacy development.
Telling stories, singing songs, and saying rhymes together are also great activities for early literacy skills – and your child will probably have a lot of fun at the same time. Sometimes your child might enjoy these activities more than reading.
You and your child might like to make up your own stories or share family stories. Your child will learn words and develop language skills from the songs, stories, and conversations you share together.
Learn more here: https://raisingchildren.net.au/babies/play-learning/literacy-reading-stories/reading-storytelling