When To Start Reading Stories To Children? – Being Parents

Around the age of 6, young children begin to develop reading skills, some even earlier. But when should we start reading stories to children? What is the recommended age to start reading? What are the benefits of promoting reading habits in childhood? We answer all of these questions below.

Remember that reading is the first step in acquiring knowledge and learning new things; it is therefore considered a basic skill to promote cognitive development.

When to start reading stories to children

From the first years of life, you can start reading stories to children. In fact, this is what it is recommended to do, since, in this way, toddlers learn to read gradually. Thus, according to the author Antonio Manuel Trujillo García, we can say that there are three fundamental stages in the formation of a child reader:

• The first stage takes place from birth until the child begins to develop his reading skills. In this phase, the child is not reading, so he needs someone else to tell him the stories.
• In the second phase, the child begins to acquire the ability to read, so that he can read in the presence of other people who can help him understand the story better.
• The third stage occurs when the child is an independent reader.

It is important for mothers and fathers to make sure their children go through this whole process. To do this, it is essential to seek out some family reading time, for example, before going to bed.

But it is also handy to have a wide range of children’s stories and books, which should be available to the little ones around the house to make them feel stimulated and start to manipulate and explore them freely.

Characteristics of a good children’s book

When choosing children’s stories and books, make sure they have most of these characteristics:

• Few words and short sentences
• A simple vocabulary
• Lots of eye-catching images and illustrations
• Different textures
• Only a few pages
• Stories close to the experiences of the child

What are the benefits of promoting reading habits in childhood?

The benefits of promoting reading habits in childhood are manifold, because reading:

• Encourages imagination and creativity.
• Promotes cognitive autonomy and the ability to learn to learn.
• Promotes the development and improvement of language.
• Improves oral and written expression.
• Increase vocabulary.
• Improves writing and spelling.
• Strengthens attention and concentration.
• Improves memory capacity.

Therefore, families have the responsibility to make reading part of the daily routine of the home. But it is not only by reading stories with children when they are young, but it is also necessary for them, as they grow up, to observe how their own parents read independently and for pleasure, because father figures are models of consideration and imitation for children.

Therefore, if a child sees his father or mother reading, they are likely to develop the same behavior. In short, it is not a question of inculcating reading as an obligation, but as a hobby and a playful activity.