Language and Cognitive Development
By age five, if a child has not been read to daily, they are not being exposed to the nearly 290,000 to 1.5 million words that those who are regularly read to are exposed to, causing this deficit.
What is the "Million Word Gap"?
Shared reading, or this, creates a sense of security and intimacy through physical closeness and focused attention.
What is "Stronger Bonding"?
Early reading develops foundational skills, including phonemic awareness, letter recognition, and understanding how books are structured (e.g., reading from left to right). Participating in early reading programs before school starts makes young readers more excited, eager, and this?
What is "School Ready"?
Lowering stress levels, blood pressure, and heart rates happens when a child is read to and with a caregiver, resulting in the reduction of this for the young reader.
What is "Stress Reduction"?
Reading to infants, even before they speak, causes their brains to prepare to process language, providing this from the very beginning?
What is an "Early Start"?
Books contain "rare" words and complex sentence structures not found in everyday conversation, providing a richer linguistic environment and this type of vocabulary.
What is a "Complex Vocabulary"?
Stories act as a "psychological sandbox," allowing children to explore diverse cultures and emotions safely, which helps them understand these feelings.
What are Empathy and Perspective?
This proficiency achievement in reading by the end of third grade is a critical predictor for high school graduation and lifelong career success.
What is the "Third Grade Milestone"?
Incorporating a book into a bedtime routine provides a calming transition that improves sleep quality, becoming this type of sleep.
What is a "Better Sleeper"?
This specific type of reading asks the reader to pause to ask questions, point at pictures, and relate the story to the child's real-life experiences.
What is "Dialogic Reading"?
This reading to brain "connection" activates multiple areas of the brain, building robust neural networks for future learning.
What is Brain Connectivity?
Identifying with characters helps children name and manage themselves, their own complex emotions, such as anger or fear, and regulate their personal reactions.
What is "Self-Regulation"?
Regularly listening to stories develops and improves a child's attention span and memory retention, which are essential for focusing in the classroom.
What is "Improved Focus"?
Reducing this during the day makes reading an effective, high-quality alternative to social media posting/scrolling, television viewing, and online gaming, which have all been linked to slower language development.
What is Reduced Screen Time?
If a child leads you in reading the same book repeatedly outloud, embrace it. Repetition, or "following" the child's excitement, is how young children master new sounds and words.
What is "Follow Their Lead"?