Talking, singing and sharing stories regularly is beneficial to the overall development of your child in many different ways. While most people read bedtime stories to their children, busy schedules and professional commitments prevent them from giving as much attention as they should, to their little ones. But it’s crucial to set some time aside for storytelling. There are many different reasons for this:
Reading stories and sharing this fun time can help:
- Your child understands words, language and sounds, which in turn helps them develop their literacy skills.
- Stimulate their imagination curiosity
- Your child’s social and communication skills and brain develop
- Children recognise the difference between what’s real and what’s make-believe.
- Your child understand what change means, know what frightening events are, and recognise the strong emotions that accompany them.
- They value stories and books.
Many people wonder whether sharing stories with their child means they have to read. You can also be a great storyteller as well as a role model for your child, just by looking at books with them. It tells them that learning through books is a great way to understand the world around them. Your child won’t just listen to the stories you are reading out to them. They will also learn other things like how a book needs to be held and how you move through it by flipping the pages etc.
There is no specific age at which you need to start reading to your baby, and it’s never too early. You baby will enjoy the time they spend in your arms or beside you, hearing the rhythm and rhyme, looking at the interesting pictures and listening to your voice.
Other ways to learn
You can also sing songs to them when they are little and read rhymes to them. When they grow older and learn to speak, they can read and sing along too. You don’t have to restrict yourself to reading out of books.
You can make up stories or even share some family stories. Many children find this to be more interesting than just reading.
Read to your child in some other languages. In fact, any language they are comfortable with is the one you should use. This helps them understand it better, and you can communicate with them effectively. Children from bilingual households will eventually pick up both languages equally well if you tell them stories and speak with them regularly in both languages.
Being bilingual helps your child learn to understand English when they start preschool. Today, it’s easy to find dual language books, and they are an excellent resource. Many children’s story books are published in two languages, and it helps familiarise them to both equally well, with far less effort.
You have the option to listen to audiobooks or read them aloud in English and them tell your child the same story in the language they are most comfortable with. Since children find the pictures interesting, you can describe those to your children and then build a story together. Anytime is a good time for a story or song – so whether its bedtime, or bath time, or you are in the park, your car, on the train or even when it’s your child’s potty time, share stories with your baby.
Storytelling Done Right
Just as it’s essential to tell your child stories regularly, it’s equally crucial to know when to stop. If they seem bored, disinterested or tired, do not compel them to listen to stories or read to them. You should involve them in some other activity at that point and move storytelling to another time.
We at Clovel Childcare and Early Learning Centres, provide a very nurturing environment for children to learn and grow. For any information about our services, give us a call at 02 9199 0294 or fill in this contact us form
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Clovel Childcare
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