Why Story Time is So Important

At My Place, your child is exposed to books and stories on a regular basis. We know that reading to a child is a fun experience, but there are also many advantages that story time has on a child’s brain development.

Story time develops literacy

Even if your young child can’t follow the narrative of a story as closely as an older child, exposure to story time from an early age builds the foundation of literacy. Preschool-age children explore an interest in written communication, while pre-kindergarteners can recognize many letters and connect them with spoken sounds. Toddlers develop early literacy skills too, with unique phonics rules that help them interact with letters and words and learn rapidly. Regular story time helps young children build a foundation for literacy they can use when they reach the age that children traditionally learn how to read.

According to the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, observation and teacher assessments of older children “show positive effects of reading to children at age 4 to 5 on their reading skills at later age.”

Story time is engaging and promotes critical thinking

Readers of any age are familiar with that feeling of getting lost in an engaging story, and toddlers and preschoolers are no different. Even though books and stories designed for these age groups are simple, their plots introduce important concepts to children, such as problem-solving and empathy. When having story time, discussing the books is a great way to help your child engage these skills. For example, you can ask, “How do you think the cat will reach the milk on the table?” Reading is fundamental in helping your child practice developing strategies for dealing with problems and social situations later in life, in a fun and engaging way.

Story time encourages brain development

According to Psychology Today, “Reading and being read to enables 2- and 3-year-olds to use complicated sentences, manage memory of distant events, build general knowledge, access new information, and develop powers of reflection.”

The skills listed above are crucial building blocks in the learning process, and story time is a key factor in healthy brain development for children. A positive association with reading can lead to greater success with learning later in life.

Story time is a fun activity that has many benefits for brain development. It can offer educational advantages, promote critical thinking, and develop literacy – tools that will serve them well in later life. At My Place, we help your child foster a love of reading with regular story times and a Curriculum Book of the Week.