Your baby can read and do lots of other things sooner than you might think. Here are some ways to encourage cognitive development.
Your baby can read and process information much sooner than many adults realize. Some individuals figure that young children are so young that they don’t notice much. They may just write off these tiny humans as “just a baby” after all. What could a small tot be thinking about in that cute little head? Much more than many people imagine.
The first few years of life are explosions of language development. In fact,
young kids learn second languages faster than their adult counterparts because of sensitive periods in their development. Before a human is able to speak words, he or she is absorbing them through listening. Just as learning to walk is a gradual process beginning with standing, then creeping, crawling and finally taking a step, reading is very similar. There are many internal processes going on in order for a child to actually read a book.
First he or she will begin to recognize sounds and visual cues; then he or she will begin to utter sounds and then words. Eventually, symbols such as letters, will be associated with sounds and then grouped to form words. When all these building blocks of knowledge are lined up, a child who started out as your baby can read.
Some ways to encourage and foster a tot’s language development is by exposure, nurturing contact and parental role models of reading:
- Exposure: Environments are rich with opportunities to absorb words, sounds, view books and more. Being spoken to in a normal voice by caregivers, parents, and siblings will be one way of providing exposure. Naturally, the tot will listen, eventually understand and mimic the sounds. Being read to as early as in the womb can create a comfort with the activity that will draw the child toward books for a lifetime. Reading rhythmic nursery rhymes or poems will entice them too. Certain rhythms mimic blood flow and heartbeats and draw interest. Singing songs is another great way to expose them to words.
- Nurturing contact: Hearing bedtime stories, being held while fed, read to and spoken with will create a receptive learner. Associating learning with quality attention from parents or caregivers will go a long way in making this a sought after experience. Playing word games in the car or at home; pointing out things in the environment and then verbally labeling them, such as “dog” or “flower” will provide mental stimulation.
- Parents’ reading: Children that grow up in homes where their moms and dads enjoy reading are lucky indeed. Parents reading means that mom and dad are feeding their own brains, which will make them better parents. They are also role modeling great habits. Kids learn much from watching and copying their parents.
So, yes, it’s true; your baby can read sooner than you might think. While an infant, toddler and young child might look like they’re just playing, running around, napping and eating, they are actually developing cognitive abilities at an amazing rate. By exposing them to language through speaking, singing, nursery rhymes, nurturing and seeing their parents read, they will blossom; before you know it, your baby can read.
