6 benefits of reading for your baby

There is no minimum age to start educating a child – and this also applies to encouraging reading. Anyone who thinks that reading books and telling stories is important only for older children is wrong. There are many benefits that contact with books, even in early childhood, is able to provide.

Reading for babies helps in the development of various psychological functions, such as the development of language, memory and logical reasoning. In addition, reading time narrows and strengthens the emotional connection between you and your baby.

Educators argue that the benefits of reading are incalculable and lifelong. Below, you can find five important reasons to insert this habit into your child’s daily life.

1 – Helps language development

Have you ever wondered why some children learn to talk earlier than others? The responses are related to the stimulation that babies receive from their parents and the people around them. One of these stimuli for language development is reading.

Your child may not yet understand the whole plot of a story, but reading aloud puts him in contact with other dimensions of oral and written languages, which will be important in his development, explains educator Sônia Maria Ramos Fachini.

International studies presented during the 2009 edition of the Bienal do Livro showed that, upon entering school, three-year-old children who already have the habit of reading as a family have a vocabulary 300% greater than those who did not grow up surrounded by books.

2 – Develop logical thinking

In contact with the book (repeatedly, in some cases), your child is learning the elements of the story and thus also learns to develop logical thinking.

Most children’s stories teach in a playful way to understand cause and consequence. In addition, there is the learning of common and fundamental values ​​in the formation of the child, such as friendship and honesty, for example. With reading there is also the development of awareness and self-knowledge.

3 – Stimulates the imagination

Through stories, your baby is able to experience new emotions like danger, mystery and joy. The book is a passport to a magical world, where your child is also introduced to the world of arts, through illustrations, images and drawings.

Reading increases children’s listening skills, develops their critical sense, expands the variety of experiences, and creates new alternatives for fun and pleasure. She imagines what she hasn’t seen and makes her dive into the character’s emotional situation, tasting different sensations.

4 – Minimizes future learning problems

When nurtured from the first months of life, the habit of reading has a positive influence not only on literacy, but also on cognitive development in general – which is fundamental for success in school. “Reading to children before teaching them to read will create the most important thing of all, which is the bond with reading. From then on, the child, accustomed to this activity, will continue to practice without pain, without sacrifices and, automatically, will learn more and more – at home and at school – without needing so much mediation”, defends the educator Sônia Fachini.

Encouraging reading from the cradle, with babies who haven’t even learned to speak, can be the shortest way to train a future reader.

5 – Creates discipline and attention

For children under three years of age, reading aloud helps to awaken their sensitivity to different intonations of speech and even has a positive effect on so-called selective attention. Through reading, your child can develop the ability to disconnect from other sources of stimulation, staying focused on one activity for longer periods.

However, it is worth remembering that babies or very young children typically have a short attention span. To circumvent this dispersion, reading moments must be dynamic and engaging and, therefore, choosing the appropriate book is essential. There are currently a multitude of books on the shelves with curious illustrations, with sound effects and several other elements that become irresistible when it comes to attracting the baby’s attention (below, some of these options).

6 – Unique moments between mother and child

Finally, perhaps the most important reason for reading for your baby is the emotional connection between your lap, your voice, your affection and books. Telling stories provides unique moments between you, important for his emotional development and that will certainly always be kept in his memory.

Wait no more! Reading aloud to your baby is a wonderful activity that you can share with him right now.