You can take the teacher out of the classroom but you can’t take the classroom out of the teacher..or something like that!
Wasn’t planning this blog but I’m feeling rather delighted with myself having built Wee One’s first bookcase. To say I am a lover of books is an understatement. I think they are the best thing since the Kelpies in Falkirk (ha ha!)…
no seriously, they’re great.
But it’s not just a case of loving books, for me it’s much more about the hugely important role they play in children’s lives. Be warned, I’m wearing my teacher hat when writing this!
But babies can’t read-right!? Correct, they most certainly can’t (I speak for my own, you however may have a child genius-congrats!). Yet for me books offer so much more than just words and a story. So here goes, 5 reasons why reading to babies is a must..
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1. It improves hand eye coordination. These brilliant thick pages books are perfect for those cute chubby little hands. Watch them as they watch you turn pages. This shows them how to read books (left to right) and is actually a important part of learning to read. I love feely books which encourage hands on reading.
2. It provides the which pictures that show a simple sequence of events. An 8-10 page book is perfect for this and hugely more beneficial that a cartoon which moves at a very fast pace. My fave in this category is ‘Rosie’s Walk’.
3. Looks of books for young children rhyme. This introduces them to sounds and words with similar sounds. Listening to repetition rhyme is even better as eventually your wee one will start ‘reading’ parts if the story without knowing the words. Check out PEEPO! A great example of this.
4. Books don’t need to be illustrated all the time. Photo books can be just as interesting for new eyes. Even your own personal photo book can be hugely interesting for a baby as one of the first things they can identify is a face. As a big fan of ‘Humans of New York’ it was cool to get ‘Little Humans’ for my Wee One.
5. Finally, for me it’s all about imagination! Stories can take you to places you can only dream of, they can introduce you to characters you’ve never heard of, they can invite you into a world far removed from the world in which we live, and more importantly they allow you to enter that world with your child.
What do you think will happen next?
How would you feel if this happened to you?
What is your favourite part of the story?
Who is your favourite character? Why?
What do you think of this place?
So take them by the hand and share in the joy that is a brilliant story.
