Since long, bedtime stories have been known to foster good relationships and bonds between parents and children, especially during the time of sleep. But off late, scientists and researchers have added various other powers to this regular night time routine. They are of the opinion that when you and your kid is sampling green eggs with Sam or sailing to the land of Wild Things, you are actually secretly boosting your child’s brain development.
A recent neural research shows that whenever caregivers or parents carry on verbal interaction with children by reading to them, kids tend to learn a lot more than what we ever thought could be possible. The gains ranged from enhanced logic skills to low levels of stress. But the most profound benefit which was discovered is the way in which bedtime stories can build up child’s brains to train them the mastery of language.
Why should you read out to your baby?
You might be wondering about the advantages of reading out to your baby at night because an infant will never understand everything that you’re telling her. But would you wait to speak to your kid until it starts understanding everything or would you wait to offer him toys unless he could shake a rattle? Reading aloud is a wonderful shared activity which can be continued through years and this is a vital form of stimulation. Reading aloud can do the following:
- Teaches a baby about communication
- Introduces concepts as letters, numbers, colors and shapes in a funny way
- Gives information to babies about the world around them
- Builds memory, listening and vocabulary skills
If you inculcate the habit of reading out bedtime stories to your kids, you will see that by the time your kid reaches his first birthday, he will have learned all sounds which are required to speak his native language. The more stories you try to read aloud, the more will be the words your child will be exposed to and he can also talk in a better manner. You may get yourself a Moulin Roty storybook torch if you don’t think there’s sufficient light to support your reading and viewing skills.
How can soothing snuggles help
In order to best confer the cognitive benefits of reading, the experiences of a child with his books should be enjoyable and fun. You would definitely want him to relate reading with emotional fun and warmth. It is seen that when kids are comfortable and cozy, reading storybooks aloud to them can even lower their stress levels. Children may face bullying in schools and it is then that their brain protects by producing hormone cortisol which activates the ‘fight’ response of the body.
Therefore, if you’re a mom to an infant or a toddler or even to a growing kid, make sure you inculcate the habit of reading out bedtime stories to him so that he can reap the above-mentioned benefits while he grows up.
