Reading Aloud

 

As a children's librarian, I amassed quite a collection of books on the art of reading aloud and the best books for children. The most recent book is on top of the stack: The Enchanted Hour: The Miraculous Power of Reading Aloud in the Age of Distraction by Meghan Cox Gurdon. 

Reading aloud with babies and toddlers accelerates language development and attention span. It exposes them to millions of words they might never otherwise read, hear, or learn. It also exposes them to beautiful artwork, colors, shapes, and numbers. 

I'm so glad that Marina and Dean have had hundreds of books read to them so far in their lives. Many on repeat! Both of them enjoy the snuggles and closeness that come from sitting on their parent's laps, listening to words and sounds and sentences as they turn the pages. After a while, they know some of the books by heart and pretend to read them on their own. 

Reading aloud is one of the best gifts you can give your children.