CINCINNATI – Experts have long recommended children be introduced to reading as early as possible, and now new research can help parents make story times even more beneficial for their little ones.
An international study headed by researchers at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center found greater brain activation in four-year-olds when they are “highly engaged” during reading time.
Asking them questions and getting them more involved in reading works like a “turbo charge” for the brain, said Dr. John Hutton, pediatrician and clinical researcher at the hospital’s Reading and Literacy Discovery Center.
“If you are reading about a dog say, ‘Oh, we have a dog, do you think our dog would like to do this?’ and you know, ‘What’s grandma’s dog’s name?’ And the more that happens, the more kids feel involved in the process, the more they’re going to practice their language skills and they’re going to want to do it more. So, the more interactive, the better,” Hutton said.
The study suggests parents develop a reading routine that allows them to spend quality time with their child and a book on a daily basis.
That also means turning off cell phones, which Hutton says are the most common preventable barrier to a quality story time.
There is no perfect reading experience, Hutton says, but he says creating a routine at home, making it fun, and beginning as early as possible are most important.
“A lot of parents will say, ‘Well what can my baby do, you know? They don’t understand yet, they’re not talking yet.’ And it’s really just getting the child on the lap, opening the book, letting them hold the book. And then for the little babies, it’s going to be mostly about that feeling of connecting with the parents, with the book,” he said.
Hutton adds that long-term studies are needed with very young children to better understand the parent-child connection to healthy brain development and literacy skills.