Want Smarter Kids? Read Aloud To Them For 1,000 Days

Although all parents know the value of introducing kids to books at an early age, the sad fact is that not everyone makes it a priority. These days, it is not an uncommon sight to see little chilren using mobile devices. Modern gadgets have indeed become “digital pacifiers” in the household, as one SmartParenting article describes it.

While there is nothing wrong with technology (balance is the keyword, according to experts), it still remains true that books are definitely important for child development. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), for instance, has issued an official policy for pediatricians to encourage parents to read to their children.

According to studies, a child experiences rapid brain development during the first three years of life.

For this reason, parents play a crucial role in reading aloud to their children – starting from birth.

In a New York Times interview, Dr. Dipesh Navsaria, assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, said:

“If we can get that first 1,000 days of life right, we’re really going to save a lot of trouble later on and have to do far less remediation.”

Dr. Pamela High, who wrote the policy, recommends that parents should make “reading together as a daily fun family activity” from infancy. In addition to reading, parents should also talk and sing to their children.

Less smartphones, more books…

Dr. Alanna Levine, a pediatrician in Orangeburg, New York, commented:

“The reality of today’s world is that we’re competing with portable digital media. So you really want to arm parents with tools and rationale behind it about why it’s important to stick to the basics of things like books.”

Early reading brings many advantages.

Meanwhile, a ChildTeaching feature tells us that reading can lead to numerous benefits such as building a stronger parent-child bond, better academic performance, improved speech abilities, improved communication ability, as well as increase in concentration and discipline.