Did you know that children can be read to from when they are in their mother’s womb? It has been known that when a baby is born, 100 billion brain cells have already been formed. A child’s first three years of life are important. It is the time when brain development occurs, making it the most sensitive stage in the development of your child (zero to three). Parents play an important role- as the child’s primary caregiver they have what it takes to help their children’s’ brain grow.
At this young age infants do not know the meaning of the pictures in a book. However, your tone of voice as you read and by choosing a book with bright colors, will help them focus on what you are reading. The many different emotions and sounds will help your child with emotional development later in life and will help build a rich network of words in the baby’s brain.
Reading aloud to your child will expose them to a world you cannot imagine. They will become good readers, have good social skills, will have more words in their vocabulary and their ability to speak will be remarkable.
I encourage you to make this happen and remember most important of all is to have FUN and make MEMORIES that will last a lifetime!
In addition, and for FUN – check out my video below. ENJOY!
-Melissa Prado, First 5 Tulare County Program Officer