Kids are naturally hyper. They’ll run, jump, and skip to entertain themselves. It’s pretty hard for them to stay still. That’s just the way they are.

Demanding that they stay still is not good for them. They’ll just end up doing the opposite and we’ll just end up getting more irritated.

If we want our kids to stay still, we shouldn’t tell them to do it. Instead, we should find an activity that can get them to stay still.

One activity that can help kids stay still is to read aloud to them. According to research, engaging kids in activities such as reading can have positive effects on their behavior. The research adds that literacy isn’t the only positive outcome of reading aloud to kids. I agree.

Improved Behavior

The research was pretty simple. It focused on a study called Reading Aloud, Play, And Social-Emotional Development.

What the researchers did was to group families into two. They videotaped the interactions of the two groups of families.

One group of families had parents interact with their kids through reading and playing. This group also had some intervention from the researchers. They provided positive feedback and reinforced the interactions between parents and kids.

The other group did not receive any kind of intervention from the researchers. It also did not get any feedback and reinforcement from the researchers.

A little more than a year after the study, the researchers found that the kids from the intervention group were more behaved. They also had better social skills as compared to the kids from the other group.

The Importance Of Reading And Playing With Kids

The study shows the positive effects of interacting with kids through reading, playing, and talking. Child expert, Alan Mendelsohn, cites an important thing about the study.

According to him, the study proves that kids can be better prepared for school if their parents spend some time reading aloud to them. Other interactions such as playing and talking can benefit them as well.

He also cites that kids can further develop their capacity to pay attention and to sit still through reading, playing, and talking. By reading aloud to them, they can enhance their capacity to engage with the story. These simple skills will prepare them for the big school.

Both reading and playing can facilitate conversation between parents and kids. No matter how simple the conversation is, words are exchanged to express feelings.

According to Mendelsohn, that’s important. That is what gets the kids to stay still. He further adds that when kids begin to internalize the language, they don’t usually get angry with another kid’s behavior. Hence, they become more tolerant. That also explains why kids become more behaved.

The Magic Of Face-To-Face Interaction

More than anything else, the parent and the child can spend quality time together when they read and talk to each other. That bond is also strengthened when they play with each other.

The face-to-face interaction that happens when parents and kids read and play together is crucial. It’s a far cry from the digital interaction kids get from screen time.

I would have to agree with the researchers of the study. If we could spend more time reading aloud to our kids, we could help channel their energy into something more productive.

An interesting book can keep the kids engaged.  They’ll start to think about the story; unconsciously, focusing on it. As time goes by, they will be able to associate the letters and the photos of the book to the story. Just like magic, they’re going to end up loving the same book over and over again.

At that point, that’s where we, parents, have to read the same old book over and over again. That’s okay. If doing that can contribute to the positive behavior of our kids, then it’s worth doing it all over again.

There’s no doubt about the calming effect of reading aloud to kids. As shown by the study, kids not only come out literate. They also come out as calm and behaved human beings. That’s great news for a parent, like me.

When your child learns to read at an early age, it expands their vocabulary and opens up their love for learning. It helps build their confidence and vastly improves their learning abilities.

And based on my experience, having the right reading methodology when teaching your child learn to read makes a world of difference.

I should know as I made that mistake. 😢

In fact, you can read my story about my child’s struggle with reading here and how we were able to help my child become an advanced reader here. 😀🤗

The post The Calming Effect Of Reading Aloud To Kids appeared first on ChildLovesToLearn.com.

Ten minutes. That’s all we need to read aloud to our kids. Just ten minutes a day of reading aloud to our kids will make a huge difference.

I enjoy reading aloud to my son. It relaxes me. Unfortunately, some moms find it hard to read aloud to their kids. They can’t seem to find the time to do it. When they do find the time, they lack the patience to make the moment enjoyable. That’s sad.

What the use of reading aloud to kids when the atmosphere is not friendly? Kids will associate reading with the unfriendly atmosphere and that could get pretty traumatic for them.

Reading aloud should be fun. We, moms, should make sure that our kids enjoy the moment.

Quit Thinking Of The Benefits Of Reading Aloud

I understand why some moms find it difficult to read aloud to their kids. Considering the daily workload of moms, it’s not that easy to set aside quality time to read aloud. I should know because I’ve been there.

I tried everything to allot some quality time. Unfortunately, I would end up falling asleep while reading a book.

It took a lot for me to read aloud to my son and for a brief moment, I thought I was going to give up on it.

There was a nagging voice inside me that told me not to give up. If I did, I would be a horrible mom for not spending some time to read aloud to my son.  So, how could I not do it?

I was pressured by that nagging voice. It kept on reminding me of the benefits of reading aloud to my son and at the same time, kept on nagging me not to give up. I wanted to yell, “Stop!”

I thought to myself, “How could reading aloud be so stressful for a parent?”

Then I blocked the nagging voice in my head. I stopped thinking about the benefits of reading aloud. Suddenly, reading aloud became more relaxing for me.  It became easier for me to grab a book to read aloud to my son.

There was no more pressure for me to make it a learning experience for my son. I became more relaxed. I just read aloud a story to my son.  I stopped worrying if my son missed out a word or an event in the book.

I just went on to read aloud. I found that my son appreciated that manner of reading aloud more. He, too, was more relaxed.

Don’t Overdo It

Some parents get overly excited about the benefits of reading that they end up overdoing it. I was guilty of that as well.

I committed to reading aloud for an hour every single day. If reading aloud is good for my son, I should commit at least an hour a day to do it, right?

Well, I was wrong about that. In my case, I found it very hard to read aloud for an hour a day. It was doable for the first few days. Then it became too stressful and tiring. I was also having a hard time finding more books to read.

I was reading aloud too much information to my son to the point that he got bored. Another thing I realized was that there was no way I could let my son sit for an hour straight. As a five-year-old boy, his attention span is only good for about 25 minutes at the most.

Instead of boring my son to death, I resorted to reading aloud to him for just ten minutes a day. Yes, just ten minutes a day. It worked. Since that day on, it was a lot easier for me to read aloud to my son.

Reading aloud for ten minutes a day is backed up by the National Adult Literacy Agency.  According to their article, all we need is just ten minutes a day to read aloud to our kids. Those ten minutes will make a huge impact on our kid’s learning development.

With just ten minutes of reading aloud to them, they can learn new words, come with ideas based on the story, and predict what’s going to happen next. The short period can spark their curiosity to think.

Based on my experience, the best way to avoid overdoing the task of reading aloud is by committing to do it for just ten minutes a day.  It’s easier for both the parent and the child.

Keep It Fun And Simple

Parents are always trying to find ways and means to read aloud to their kids. I don’t blame them. What I have learned from finding the time and patience to read aloud to my son is to just keep it fun and simple.

If we prioritize the fun part of reading aloud, then everything else will follow.

When your child learns to read at an early age, it expands their vocabulary and opens up their love for learning. It helps build their confidence and vastly improves their learning abilities.

And based on my experience, having the right reading methodology when teaching your child learn to read makes a world of difference.

I should know as I made that mistake. 😢

In fact, you can read my story about my child’s struggle with reading here and how we were able to help my child become an advanced reader here. 😀🤗

The post How To Find The Time And Patience To Read Aloud appeared first on ChildLovesToLearn.com.

This article was contributed by my good friend Sandy Gallagher.

Kids are like sponges. They absorb information easily and mimic anything they want. Leave them in front of the television and they’ll eventually pick up the accent or the language of their favorite cartoon character.

Thanks to Dora and Handy Manny, kids as young as two years old can understand Spanish. So, it makes me wonder. If they can pick up information from the television that easily, can they also understand the words that they see in a book? The answer might surprise you.

The Actual Age When Kids Start To Read

In spite of all our attempts to expose our kids to books, they start to learn how to read before the age of 5 or 6. This information shocked me.

When my daughter turned three, she was already able to read sight words. At least, that was what I thought at that time.

When she was about three years, I would practice her every single day with flashcards of sight words. I figured; I didn’t have anything to lose by trying it. If my daughter could get used to seeing the words, it would register in her mind and she would eventually be able to read it, right?

So, I used a lot of flashcards and printed books to familiarize her with words. As early as two years old, she was able to say a couple of sight words from the flashcards. She was also able to retell the story that I was reading to her. She knew the characters pretty well.

At that point, I felt that my daughter was pretty advanced for her age. Wow, she could read a couple of words. I felt proud and secretly thought I had a bright kid in my hands.

She was not reading. She was just picking up information. Yes, there is a difference between the two.

It Takes A lot To Decode Printed Letters

Like any mom out there, I secretly feel that my daughter is smarter than most kids. Then I come across this research that takes me back to reality.

According to the said research, the neural connections in young kids are not yet developed. These neural connections are critical. They help decode the printed letters so that they could be combined mentally to form words.

I guess my daughter was just picking up words at that time. With my incessant coaching, which seemed like nagging at times, how could she not pick up a couple of words?

Picking up a couple of words is a lot different from reading. If there was one thing, I failed to check was that if she understood the words on the flashcards.

I was just too caught up with having her read the words that she ended up just mimicking the words because I would say them as well. Then she would associate the words on the flashcards. However, she wasn’t reading them.

Reading Readiness

The same research shared some great tips on reading readiness in toddlers. According to it, the key is indirect instruction. That was the first time I had ever heard of the term. However, it wasn’t exactly a new thing.

Indirect instruction is about getting our kids excited about books and printed words. Hence, it involves the introduction of printed books to our kids.

One of the best ways to do it is by reading to our kids. The earlier we start, the better. According to the research, we should start reading books to babies.

Babies enjoy the sight of pictures and labels in a printed book. As they get a little older, they expand their interest in rhyming books.

So, as parents, our job is to provide them books that will help them expand their interest and excitement in learning how to read.

My Take Away

As parents, we need to understand how toddlers can learn how to read. Based on my experience, I should also take it easy on my daughter.

I just got very excited when she started mimicking words that I thought I was doing a good job in teaching her how to read. The lesson I learned is to make reading more enjoyable.

Now that my daughter can recognize a word, I don’t bombard her with more words. I stop at that word and check if she understands it.

After coming across the term neural connections, I think it’s crucial for us, parents, to take some time to explain the meaning of words.

Since neural connections take some time to develop, we, parents, should not be limited to just having our young kids repeat a word from a printed book or a pile of flashcards.

We should also make sure they understand the meaning of the words to prepare them to learn how to read the right way.

When your child learns to read at an early age, it expands their vocabulary and opens up their love for learning. It helps build their confidence and vastly improves their learning abilities.

And based on my experience, having the right reading methodology when teaching your child learn to read makes a world of difference.

I should know as I made that mistake. 😢

In fact, you can read my story about my child’s struggle with reading here and how we were able to help my child become an advanced reader here. 😀🤗

The post When Does A Toddler Learn How To Read? appeared first on ChildLovesToLearn.com.

Moms are always juggling with time. I know I am. Time is the one thing I don’t have enough of. In spite of that, I take time to read aloud to my kids.

This is not to show off any of my amazing mothering skills. As if I have any. Truth be told, I struggle to find some time to read aloud to my kid. It’s a challenge for any parent to find time to do it.

However, I do my best to find the time. As challenging as it maybe, it’s worth all the trouble.

Based on this research, reading physical books out loud, enhances interaction between the reader and the listener.

Physical books produced the most positive interactions by far. The researchers observed both parents and children making more comments about the story and engaging in more back-and-forth dialogue.

If that isn’t enough of a good reason to read aloud to kids, then I don’t what is. My friends have been asking me how I find time to read aloud to my kid. Hence, is the reason why I am sharing my 6 useful tips to find time to read aloud to kids.

6. Go Beyond Bed Time.

Usually the first thing that comes to mind when reading aloud to kids is bedtime. Reading aloud is often associated with bedtime routine.

There is nothing wrong with that. I tried doing that as well and found that it didn’t work with my schedule well. There is no law that reading aloud should be done before bedtime. Go beyond the bedtime routine to find time to read aloud to kids.

5. Allot A Minimum Time For It.

I find that it’s more manageable and doable to read aloud to my kid when I’ve set a minimum time to do it. Instead of trying to finish the book to get it over and done with, it’s best to do it little by little. That way, it’s easier to allot a minimum time to read aloud.

Personally, 15 to 20 minutes work well for me and my kid. Setting aside 15 to 20 minutes to read aloud doesn’t seem as taxing as compared to setting aside an hour. Just think about it.

4. Make Sure The Book Is Accessible.

If there is one that I appreciate lying around my house is the book I’m reading to my kid. It could be on the kitchen table, on the sofa, on the floor; I don’t care. As long as my kid can easily access it anytime, I’m good with it.

The last place I would stow the book I’m reading aloud to my kid is on the shelf. Once a book ends up on the shelf, it’s forgotten. So, I avoid stowing it there.

3. Freshen Up.

It feels good to freshen up first before picking up that book. This is especially true after a hard day’s work. Let’s face it. The last thing any exhausted parent wants to do is to read a book aloud.

A quick shower or even a change of clothes can do wonders.  I often tell my working mom friends to change first before they pick up the book. That way, they don’t end up grouchy while reading aloud. Keep in mind that reading aloud should be fun for the kids. Freshening up can really do wonders for the mood of an exhausted parent.

2. Choose A Fun Book.

It’s important to choose a fun book for the kids. When it comes to fun books, the list is long. It could be hard to choose a fun book from that long list.

I usually don’t limit myself to the usual children’s books that are considered top selling and classic. In my opinion, some parents make that mistake of choosing standard children’s books. Truth be told, some of the classic children’s books might be boring for some kids.

To avoid ending up with a boring book to read aloud, I let my kid choose the book. Only my kid knows what a fun book is.

For example, my kid loves the series of books from Phineas and Ferb. This particular series of books isn’t exactly classic.  Still, my kid enjoys all the adventures of Phineas and Ferb. So, who am I to deprive him a daily dose of Phineas and Ferb?

1. Prioritize Reading Aloud.

There’s a lot that I can do with the 15-minute time that I allot for reading aloud. I can do the laundry, vacuum the floor, and even prep the next-day’s meal. I mean, 15 minutes for a busy mom like me can do wonders for my daily schedule. That is if I prioritize getting housework over reading aloud to my kid.

The point is, I don’t really care if my house is not in order as long as I am able to spend some time reading aloud to my kids. I feel that it’s more beneficial to prioritize reading aloud to kids than having a clean house. That kind of mindset should make it easy for any parent to find some time to read aloud to their kids.

My list of 6 useful tips is pretty easy to follow. There’s nothing complicated about it. So, if there’s one thing I can say to some parents out there struggling to find time to read aloud to their kids. It’s doable.

When your child learns to read at an early age, it expands their vocabulary and opens up their love for learning. It helps build their confidence and vastly improves their learning abilities.

And based on my experience, having the right reading methodology when teaching your child learn to read makes a world of difference.

I should know as I made that mistake. 😢

In fact, you can read my story about my child’s struggle with reading here and how we were able to help my child become an advanced reader here. 😀🤗

The post 6 Useful Tips To Find Time To Read Aloud To Kids appeared first on ChildLovesToLearn.com.