Why are American pediatricians advised to read the child out loud from the first days of life

A lot of modern research confirms the direct link between success in reading and success in school and even later in the workplace. Therefore, one of the most important aspects of early childhood development is the formation of skills that precede reading and writing.

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Even before the child learns to recognize the letters and put them together on paper, he begins to enjoy contact with the printed word. A very important task for parents is to maintain this interest, constantly feeding it and directing it in the right direction.

Recently, many scientists have begun to support the theory that an important part of brain development occurs during the first three years of life. Such scientific discoveries pushed the American Academy of Pediatrics (the professional association of pediatricians in the United States) for the first time to take an official position on early childhood literacy.

The organization's policy encourages parents to read the child out loud every day, starting at birth, and also entrusts the mission of pediatricians to constantly remind the patients' relatives of the importance of reading. Thus, the promotion of early childhood literacy has become a priority for American pediatricians, along with the promotion of breastfeeding and vaccination.

When we came to the doctor with our child for scheduled examinations at different ages, we did not receive questions and information on the topic of reading every time. Also, several times, as part of various projects, we were given new children’s books that corresponded to the child’s developmental level - as a practical call to action.

Some pediatricians monitor when examining how a child treats books at all levels, starting with fine finger motor skills (turning pages) and ending with social, emotional and linguistic skills. And they even write on the prescription form something like:

Drug: reading

Dose: 15 minutes

Reception: every night before bed

Refill drugs: public library.

Pediatricians use a variety of approaches with the sole goal of showing parents that reading to their children is truly important. Regular exposure to books and reading from the very beginning brings many positive benefits, such as increasing vocabulary and helping to develop communication skills. Even if a child does not yet know how to read independently, having someone read it stimulates its development.

In the booklet Reading Your Baby (“Why it’s never too early to start reading with your child”), released by the American Academy of Pediatrics, says: “When parents talk, read, and sing with their babies and young children, connections are formed in the child’s brain. These connections build language, literacy, and social-emotional skills in an important period of development of a small child. Such forms of leisure strengthen the bond between parents and child. ”

Indeed, it is difficult to overestimate the importance of reading, especially as a means of psychological unity.

It is very important to instill in a child not just reading skills, but actually a love for books - that insatiable thirst for freedom of movement and knowledge that only literature can satisfy. Parents should make this their goal, since regular reading is the key to full development and success in life.

Useful resources:

English-speaking website of the American Academy of Pediatrics healthychildren.org is an authoritative source of information about child health. Here you can find specific recommendations on parenting issues, including many practical tips on how to read young children or help preschoolers learn to read.

BOOK Caring for Your Baby 5 (“Caring for your newborn and young child: from birth to five years”) is also presented by the American Academy of Pediatrics and is the bible of children's health for parents. On its pages you can find answers not to all the questions that may arise during the first five years of a child’s life, regarding the physical, mental and emotional health of a baby. This book is regularly reprinted with additions based on the latest research, and therefore never loses relevance.

The original column is published on the website "American childhood ".

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