Starting nursery brings many new experiences for all children. In a very short space of time, they get to know dozens of new people, such as teachers and carers, and of course lots of new friends. They face challenging tasks such as getting dressed and undressed by themselves, sitting still and being separated from their parents or carers. All of this is also emotionally draining. So it's no wonder that children are often tired or very excited during their first days at nursery school.
Reading aloud helps children to talk about their feelings and experiences more easily, and to process and share their experiences.
Rituals can help you cope with the many changes in everyday family life. They convey a sense of security and can help alleviate stressful situations. Reading aloud at home is particularly useful in this regard. It brings adults and children closer together, not only physically but also mentally, creating intimate moments during the stressful start of nursery school.
Reading aloud also provides an opportunity to talk about feelings and experiences through stories and pictures without addressing them directly. This can help children process and share their experiences.
Focus on the child's interests
The term «reading aloud» can refer to a variety of situations. Classic picture books can also be narrated freely, without following the given text. This approach is often best for everyone involved, especially if dialect or another language is spoken at home.
In hidden object books, large-format pictures with lots of little scenes invite readers to discover things together, without any text at all. And some children are more enthusiastic about children's magazines or non-fiction books than stories. In any case, children's interests should be the focus when choosing books.
If you pop into your local library, you're sure to find the right stuff to read or be read to. Libraries are a great place to hang out anyway, where the whole family can browse and read, chill out, play games and go to story time.
Language development
Reading aloud has earned its reputation as a true «miracle cure» in child development thanks to its important role in language development – and thus in introducing children to reading and writing. Early reading does not begin with letters: young children recognise familiar objects in pictures and in their first board books.
Later, they will recognise individual scenes in picture books, for example, and eventually read and understand entire sequences of images. Your child has probably already discovered many signs and symbols, such as the symbols on toilet doors or the prohibition signs on buses.
The favourite story that the child wants to hear over and over again often deals with a topic that is currently on their mind.
By talking to you, it learns what these symbols mean. In a broader sense, this is also part of reading aloud and can take place on the go. This «reading» of pictures – with or without a book – and the accompanying conversations also play an important role in nursery school.
It is also well documented that children who are read to regularly have a larger vocabulary. In books, they encounter words and language forms that go beyond everyday language. In oral communication, this applies to verses, rhymes and songs. These also introduce children to literary language in a playful and creative way. They can also be easily integrated into everyday family life: as funny sayings before meals, as support when brushing teeth, to comfort or as a sleep aid.
Promoting language and reading development
- Speak to your child in the language you know best. This will give them a solid foundation for learning other languages.
- Your child develops their language skills through conversation with you. When you talk to them about their observations, they expand their vocabulary and become eager to make new discoveries.
- Language is wonderful to play with. Rhymes, songs and movement games allow your child to experience how fun language can be.
- Stories and pictures open up new worlds for your child. When you read aloud, they can explore them with you and learn lots of new words.
- Characters and symbols fascinate your child. With your help, they can uncover their secrets.
- Books as good friends: You can borrow books and other media together with your child at libraries.
- Media diversity is part of everyday life for children: accompany your child as they discover stories in films, audiobooks and apps.
- Doodling and painting on paper, taking photos together and designing with smartphones and tablets encourage your child to express themselves through images and language.
Deepening the bond with your child
But back to reading aloud: Of course, children also benefit in terms of their imagination and language development from stories they hear as audiobooks or radio plays, of which there is a wide range available. However, your child can gain even more from the emotionally nourishing moment of reading aloud and the direct interaction with a close caregiver.
If reading aloud is tiring for adults because younger children like to hear their favourite story five times in a row, it helps to know that this meets the child's need for repetition and supports the comprehension process.
It is not uncommon for a child's favourite story to deal with a topic that is on their mind at that particular time. Reading aloud is therefore a wonderful opportunity to deepen your bond with your child and give them a gift that will last a lifetime.
