Reading to Infants and Young Children

What the research shows?

An infants brain structure is not genetically determined. Early experiences have a decisive impact on the architecture of a babys brain, reports the Conference on Brain Development, University of Chicago. A child care provider reads to a toddler. And in a matter of seconds, thousands of cells in these childrens growing brains respond. Some brain cells are turned on, triggered by this particular experience. Many existing connections among brain cells are strengthened. At the same time, new brain cells are formed, adding a bit more definition and complexity to the intricate circuitry that will remain largely in place for the rest of these childrens lives, reports the Conference on Brain Development. The development of early literacy skills through early experiences with books and stories is critically linked to a childs success in learning to read as cited in the Reach Out and Read Program Manual. Development of literacy is a continuous process that begins early in life and depends heavily on environmental influences according to More Than the ABCs: The Early Stages of Reading and Writing, NAEYC. Children who are read to from an early age are more successful at learning to read according to Emergent Literacy as a Perspective for Examining How Young Children Become Readers and Writers. . . .reading aloud to children is the single most important intervention for developing their literacy skills, according to a 1985 study by the National Commission on Reading. Early reading experiences are now recognized as being of such importance that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that pediatricians prescribe reading activities along with other instructions given to parents at the time of well-child visits. The President of the Academy, Dr. Robert E. Hannemann, stated: We strongly recommend daily reading to children from six months of age.