Reading to Newborn Babies Beneficial

Reading to young children has such a powerful impact on the rest of their lives that experts now recommend parents begin doing so when their babies are just hours old," says The Toronto Star. Dr. Richard Goldbloom, who two years ago spearheaded the first newborn literacy program in Canada, says: "One of the things we’ve learned and observed is that when you do read to a baby, they really pay attention from very early infancy. They are listening." Research indicates that just giving books to children from a very early age improves their vocabulary and reading skills. According to the newspaper, "the point is not to force toddlers to learn to read, but to expose them to both quality and quantity of language so they can acquire vocabulary and letter and sound recognition—and, eventually, actual reading skills."