Do you read to your children?

[Naomi]

I was listening to the radio yesterday about some recent research that says children benefit from being read to from the time they are babies.

I don't find this surprising, it kind of makes sense to me - I think it's a good way to start laying down the basics for language form and content. My mother always read to us when I was small and I love reading now, I also had no problems learning to read as a child - not that one necessarily follows the other, but I think being read to from a young age contributed to that.

What did surprise me was that 50% of parents don't read to their babies/toddlers, until they reach school age and are starting to learn to read for themselves.

We've read to Hugo since he was born and he's now getting to the point where he's actually paying attention, turning the pages, touching the pictures ... I don't know how much of it he understands but it's a start.

Do/Did you read to your babies?

[Tora]

Yes, I did read to my children from being babies. Also, my parents used to read to us too. I was only talking to my Mother yesterday about how I recall sitting on my Dad's lap at night, (I would have been about 3 at the time) as he would read to me out of the newspaper! I don't really think it matters what you read, only that you read! :)

Anne (Tora)

[mel35]

I have read to all my children since they were babies, it's something my parents did wth my brother and I also. My kids have all so far been pretty good readers. I must admit that I don't read to my younger ones as much as I did with the older ones when they were little, but my older kids often read to them.

Something I have also done with my kids which I think have helped them read is we play silly rhyming games to distract the kids from boredom when we are waiting for the bus or long car trips etc. The kids love them and they are learning too ( without realising it :D ).

[debambam]

EVERYDAY!! Although these days she reads to me and I help her! Ever since she was little....no matter what else happens, its our time for the day

[Tora]

I have read to all my children since they were babies, it's something my parents did wth my brother and I also. My kids have all so far been pretty good readers. I must admit that I don't read to my younger ones as much as I did with the older ones when they were little, but my older kids often read to them.

Something I have also done with my kids which I think have helped them read is we play silly rhyming games to distract the kids from boredom when we are waiting for the bus or long car trips etc. The kids love them and they are learning too ( without realising it :D ).

We used to play lots of rhyming games, I spy, and a game where you make up a sentence using the letters on numberplates when we were travelling. :-) The kids loved it!

Although my children were read to, and were encouraged to read from a very young age, I have one Son who is dyslexic, and another who was a very poor reader. Both of them are very smart boys, just couldn't master the reading/writing very well. ;) :hug:

Both are doing well for themselves now I might add. :) Neither are readers now they are older, although one of them has read a few books in the past couple of years. On the other hand, I have two very avid readers in my lads. They read a minimum of three books a week!! :faint: And they aren't small books either!! :dk: My oldest Son can and does read, but he isn't really "into" books like the other two are. So, they all turn out differently. ;)

Anne :)

[Pam]

I read a lot to my kids (from babies), and I can remember my mum reading to me :) Mum has told me she used to concider burning the Folk of the Faraway tree LOL

[Naomi]

Pam, that's hilarious because the one book I remember my mum reading (over and over) was the Magic Faraway Tree - I bet she wanted to burn it, too.

[shelli]

I try to every single night. The kids bring home their home readers from school and they read them to me now. Amy actually comes up to us with books and asks us to read them for her. She sits down and listens to the kids reading their books, too. She always has. Ever since she was a baby.

What I am also doing, at the moment, is writing down names and she is starting to recognise her own name. She already knows what the shapes are....basic ones, anyhoo. She just seems to always want to know more!! I just hope that I can keep up with her in years to come.

shelli

[Manda]

Ok put me down for the slack mother of the year award!
I do read to the kids but only about once a week or so :(
i usually find that they are too rowdy during the day and just want to rip the books up and by bedtime i just want to sit down and eat my dinner while they drift off to sleep.

Geez i feel bad now ....if they were awake id go read to them! ..............hmmm if anyone sees me on here tomorrow kick me off and tell me to go read to my kids! PLEASE!

[snufflepot]

Yes we do read to the 3 year old every night before bed, and a couple during the day that he might want to read, while the 15 month old wanders in and out the room :P

I heard all the info to on "reading to baby from as young as possible" and the benefits so we tried to do it when my son was born but to be honest up until he was about 18 months he just wasn't interested. No matter what you read to him. After 18 months though he was so into them and LOVES his story time :)

[miss.terious]

ive never had parents reading to me..but i think its an awesome idea..i would definitely do it if i had a kid....
it realy is true dat it doesnt matter what u read as long as u read, it makes it soothing, and can get them to go to bed to the sound of your voice...
gives u an excuse for further talk as they get older as well...

[Ness]

I read to my son since the day he was born pretty much, i know it sounds silly but i am partly dislexic and i need to read books first sometimes before i read them to my son. So i started reading to him and its kind of like learning all over again myself. ha ha Now we read two books everynight before bed, he loves it when i get something wrong and he picks up on it and corrects me. lol :D

[miss.terious]

thats realy sweeet....