The poll commissioned to mark National Family Week showing that just under half of all children are missing out on a traditional bedtime story is a travesty of our times.
Reading to a child involves more than simply telling a story. Long before children learn to read they learn to love the music of language, the tonal, rhythmic and dynamic aspects of speech, which are exaggerated when read out loud. Listening to stories, often repeated many times, helps develop memory, including a memory for the phonological components of the written word. As children listen to stories, they learn to match sounds to pictures and word shapes. Being read to also increases a child's vocabulary and reading comprehension
Desire to read begins with a love of stories - the familiarity of characters, the shape of the story line, and the pictures that the story creates in the mind's eye. Story time is also important because it involves shared one-to-one time between parent and child. Sharing the same experiences has been shown to increase the level of a powerful hormone involved in securing attachment and strengthening close social bonds.
In my practice and in schools around the country I regularly come across parents who have never read to their child. Although we live in difficult times, it is important to remember that some of the most essential ingredients for a happy childhood are free - fresh air, space, friends, family, reliability and time spent together. A parent who spends just ten minutes a day reading to their child will not only help them at school in the years to come but boost their chances for a long, happy and active life. Surely, this is what we all want for our children.
