Reading
Matters: Reading Is Beneficial, Even to Babies
by Rebecca Mahoney, The
Ledger, January 2, 2003
Like most parents, Tammy Werner wants her daughter to have every possible
advantage.
She breast-feeds 3-month-old Jessica because her doctor recommends it. She
buys educational toys. And she reads to her every day.
"She seems real interested in the pictures and what I'm saying," the
Lakeland mother says. "I bring out the books, and she calms right down."
Jessica may seem a little young for books. But researchers think it's
never too early to read to children -- even newborns. Multiple studies
have shown that reading gives babies dozens of intellectual and emotional
benefits.
"It's like giving them vitamins, only it's for the mind," said Barbara
Kiefer, professor of children's literature at Columbia University. "That
early sharing of books is just crucial."
Most pediatricians recommend reading to babies as soon as parents bring
them home from the hospital. And five years ago, the American Academy of
Pediatrics launched a "Prescription for Reading" campaign, which
encourages pediatricians to "prescribe" reading activities along with the
other instructions given to parents during well-child visits.
Research suggests that babies who are read to are more enthusiastic about
reading, more successful in school, better readers and more likely to
remain lifelong readers, Kiefer said.
Illiteracy is a serious problem in Polk County, the state and the nation.
Forty-two percent of Polk third-graders scored below grade level on the
2002 reading portion of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. Among
adults, about 22 percent are considered functionally illiterate.
From improving their vocabulary to helping them understand the elements of
a story, reading aloud can jumpstart their literary futures, she said.
"Reading aloud exposes babies to a lot of human speech and teaches them
good language skills early on," she said. "Strong language skills are
among the best predictors later on in reading and writing abilities."
Babies who are read to often start talking earlier, and they typically
have richer vocabularies and use more complex sentences than other
children, Kiefer said.
Later on, they learn about character roles, such as what witches are like
or what wolves do. And they learn about story structure, and how they have
beginnings, middles and endings. These lessons will help in reading
comprehension when the child starts school, Kiefer said.
"How often a child is read to will have an incredible impact on how she
does in school later on," she said.
The soft, sing-song voice parents often use when reading to little ones
also fosters emotional bonds, said Alice Honing, a professor of child
development at Syracuse University.
"It's a very warm, enjoyable time for parent and child, and they learn to
associate books with pleasant things," she said.
Parents need not worry that their baby will be bored by reading the same
short books over and over again, said Dr. Betty Watson, director of early
childhood education at Harding University in Searcy, Ark.
"(Reading the same book repeatedly) allows the child to begin to build a
familiarity -- not only with the words, but also with the book's pictures
and concepts," she said. "Using a fairly small number of books actually
encourages the opportunity for the child to begin to construct his or her
own knowledge of concepts associated with the world around them."
When it comes to reading to a baby, keep in mind that simple, colorful
pictures will catch the child's eye, said Jeannine McCarter, children's
librarian for the Lakeland Public Library. She recommends high-contrast
picture books, such as "Black on White" and "White on Black," both by Tana
Hoban.
"It's that stark contrast that draws a baby's attention to the book," she
said.
The Polk County library system has a proliferation of board books, sturdy,
laminated books with four or five pages. Babies can chew on a board book's
cardboard pages without causing much damage, and the books can be easily
cleaned. Plus, the thick pages are perfect for little fingers.
As for what to read, Kiefer suggests that parents pick anything that
interests them. She also said parents shouldn't shy away from more
complicated books.
"Don't be afraid to read books that have a fairly complicated vocabulary,
because that's exactly where kids pick up words," she said. "(`The Tale of
Peter Rabbit') has long sentences and wonderful vocabulary. It's fun to
hear as well as to read aloud."
