Book 'Em
When it comes to nurturing a child’s love for reading, it’s never too soon to start.

Children are born to read. In fact, the development of literacy takes root in a child’s earliest language
development: the first “call and response” or “conversations” between the child and the adults in his or her life. When an infant smiles and an adult responds with such enthusiastic language as, “Oh, how cute you are!”, the child is learning the power of communication. This inherently leads to the development of language
and literacy, and ultimately to physical, social, and emotional development as well.

Literacy is the product of extensive and systematic interactions with printed words and high expectations for the child’s language development. But reading is as much a social activity as an intellectual process. Readers grow in families and communities that value the written word. Becoming a lifelong reader is the result of children living in families and attending programs and schools where they come to believe that reading and writing are as natural and integral to their lives as eating and drinking—and just as
enjoyable.

Throughout our adult lives, books serve so many functions. They are sources for research, companions for our pleasure, and shared experiences for our community. They take us to other worlds, teach us about life and explain mysteries, help us through tough times, and make us laugh and cry. Children’s books accomplish all of these purposes, too, and do something even more important: They grow readers. So seek out children’s books that will help your kids fall in love with reading and the power of the printed page, and in turn help them navigate through school and throughout life.

This installment of “Kaleidoscope,” from Overlook’s Childcare Center,
is excerpted from Bright Horizons Family Solutions for e-family news.