Many of us have fond childhood memories of snuggling up next to a parent, listening raptly to a favorite fairy tale or children's story. But did you know that while you were thrilling to the adventures of Robin Hood or laughing at Chicken Little's antics, you were building brain power, too? Studies have shown that language skills — and even intelligence — can depend on a child's daily exposure to a large vocabulary. Now that you're a parent, reading to your child is a fun, easy way to boost the number of words he hears and help him develop a love of literature and learning. To find out just how much you know about reading aloud, try our true/false quiz below.
Take the quiz again Your results
Your score: 8 out of 10 points 1. Most parents know how important it is to read to their children.
| a. True |
| b. False correct! |
Though a 1983 report from the Commission on Reading (a national group funded by the U.S. Department of Education) found that "the single most important activity for building the knowledge required for eventual success in reading is
reading aloud to children," only 39 percent of parents read daily to their infants and toddlers, according to a 1996 survey by the
Commonwealth Fund. And 16 percent of parents don't read to their children at all, despite research that shows how important it is to expose children to stimulating language, pictures, and music from infancy.
2. You should start reading aloud to your child daily after she turns 1.
The correct answer is b. Though it's never too soon to start reading to your child (some argue that even babies in the womb enjoy a good story), the
American Academy of Pediatrics recommends reading aloud to your child every day starting at 6 months — when she'll really begin to enjoy looking at books with you. Jim Trelease, long-time read-aloud expert and author of the
Read Aloud Handbook, says newborns will enjoy a good book, too, so it certainly can't hurt to start sooner. Experts say that the more you speak directly to your child, the better it is for her growth and
development. No matter what your child's age, reading provides an opportunity for cuddling and socializing that both baby and parent can appreciate.
3. It's important to read to children daily, at the same time each day.
| a. True correct! |
| b. False |
You should read to your child every day, preferably at a regular time (or several regular times). Of course, that doesn't mean you should skip reading if you won't be home for your usual bedtime story — in that case, it's just fine to read a book in the morning instead.
4. Listening to a book on tape or CD will do as much for your child as being read to.
The correct answer is b. Young children enjoy being read to because of the interaction with you, not because of the story itself. That's why books on tape, TV, radio, and other one-sided forms of entertainment aren't recommended for babies. Once your child gets old enough to enjoy them, though — possibly around age 2 — there's nothing wrong with books on tape, says pediatrician Laura Jana, a national trainer for Reach Out and Read. Just make sure recorded stories never take the place of reading together.
5. For the first few months of your baby's life, it doesn't really matter what you read to him.
| a. True correct! |
| b. False |
Newborns can't understand what you're reading, so for the first few months, anything goes — you can read
children's books, a magazine, or the
Wall Street Journal; at this point, it's the fact that you're reading rather than what you read that's important. Keep in mind, though, that young babies will be especially fascinated by pictures with bright colors and sharp contrast, which you can often find in board and picture books. Your baby may also enjoy the singsong rhythm and rhyming words of nursery rhymes. They're easy to remember, so you can chant them during daily routines ("Rub a dub dub, three men in a tub"). See our
recommended books by age.
6. Toddlers prefer books with busy illustrations and lots to look at.
| a. True |
| b. False correct! |
"Children younger than 18 months often find it difficult to understand complicated illustrations that adults recognize easily," says Jim Trelease in the
Read Aloud Handbook. Young toddlers aren't quite able to grasp the idea that a small flat picture of an apple represents the shiny red three-dimensional fruit they saw on the kitchen counter; uncomplicated illustrations make it easier for them to make sense of what they're seeing. Look for books with simple pictures, preferably one per page. Try picking up a plotless book such as
The First Words Picture Book by Bill Gillham — it's chock-full of larger pictures of objects of interest to toddlers.
7. It's better to read lots of different books to your toddler than to repeat the same one over and over.
| a. True |
| b. False correct! |
Toddlers have so much they're trying to learn that they may need to hear a story many times before they really understand it and are familiar with it. And familiarity leads to self-confidence: "Very little in a child's life is completely predictable," says Jim Trelease in the
Read Aloud Handbook. "And then along comes this book that your repeated readings have made entirely predictable, something at which the young child is suddenly an expert.
Expert — what a proud merit badge for one so young to wear." So try not to get impatient if many readings — and the answers to lots of questions — fail to wear out your child's interest in a particular book.
8. It's important for parents to let their children get involved in the reading process, even at a young age.
| a. True correct! |
| b. False |
Don't get hung up on making it all the way through a book without stopping, or on reading every word on every page. Let your child's interest and questions guide your reading pace. According to the
American Library Association, you can help get him involved in story time by having him point out objects on the page, holding the book so he can see the pictures clearly, talking about the pictures, repeating common words, varying your tone (changing voices for different characters or moods) or pace, and having your child select the books you read.
9. Trying to teach your child specific letters and numbers from the start will increase her enjoyment of reading.
| a. True |
| b. False correct! |
An early emphasis on teaching letters, sounds, and syllables can sap a child's enjoyment of story time. Plus, while a child may learn to read earlier this way, he can go on to "bomb out" by early elementary school. "I have a feeling that [some kids have] been pushed so hard from the outset to learn to read early on that the cost didn't show up until later," said child development expert Dr. T. Berry Brazelton in a National Public Radio interview. Focus on the pleasure and communication of reading, not learning. Your child will gradually make the connection between the sound of a word and the way it appears on the page just from looking at the books and listening to you read them.
10. You can stop reading to your child once he's learned to read on his own.
| a. True |
| b. False correct! |
Children are never too old to be read to. "Almost as big a mistake as not reading to children at all is stopping too soon," says Jim Trelease in the
Read Aloud Handbook. Even when a child can read on his own, until he's about 13, his listening level — the words and concepts he can understand when they're spoken out loud — is significantly higher than his reading level, the words and concepts he can understand when he reads them. When he listens to you read, your child will add new words to his vocabulary. And at any age, he'll enjoy the chance to spend some one-on-one time with you.
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