Reading to Children: The First 3 Years - Your Voice Has Power

Reading aloud to your children during their first three years is very important. Here are a few things you should know about reading and the power of your voice.

You learned when you were carrying your baby that your voice could encourage wonderful responses from your baby. It was then that your unborn child began to learn about emotions, language, and even reading! Yes, you read it right. Reading.

During the first three years, children develop most of their ability to learn. Their little brains grow to about 90% of the size of an adult’s brain. That’s why toddlers tend to look sort of top heavy. Because they are growing and learning so quickly, You have to act fast too!

It’s important for parents to talk, read, and sing to their budding readers. When you verbally communicate with your child, unbelievable things happen inside his/her brain. Your voice stimulates the growth of new cells and links as well as strengthens cells and links that have already formed. Imagine that! Your voice has more power than you ever realized!

Many parents want to jump right in to formal education at this time but it’s through play that children learn the best…at least for the time being. What can seem like play to adults is actually work for children. Acting out a story or song, playing dress-up, doing finger plays, dancing to music, and drawing all encourage the development of pre-reading skills.

So you see, what you do or don’t do has a lasting effect on your child’s ability to read. Make the most of the time you have with your baby/toddler. Talk, read, sing, play in order to raise a reader!

Here are a couple of books to help you out. They are available in the Baby/Toddler Books section of our Family Favorites Shop.