New Study on Early Literacy
READING PREPARES CHILDREN TO BE EXPERT LANGUAGE USERS
New study shows that reading picture books with young children has a profound effect on their vocabulary development
A baby’s first words are an exciting milestone, and development of early language helps a child gain understanding of the world around them while at the same time easing frustrations in showing what they want or need. Of course, talking with your young child plays an important role in developing their vocabulary, but a new study[1] shows that reading with them is even more beneficial.
Past research has looked at how much spoken language a child hears in their home and how this corresponds to both the size of their vocabulary and I.Q. test scores; the recommendation has been that the more parents talk to their child, their greater the impact upon their vocabulary development. A new study by Dominic Massaro, psychology professor at the University of California—Santa Cruz, points to reading as having a more significant impact than talking on vocabulary growth. “We talk with a lazy tongue,” Massaro said. “We tend to point at something or use a pronoun and the context tells you what it is. We talk at a basic level.” Findings of the study confirm that language used in picture books are two to three times more likely to include words beyond the 5,000 most common in the English language – even employing rare words that are uncommon in conversation among adults. “Reading takes you beyond the easy way to communicate,” Massero said. “It takes you to another world and challenges you.”
Because there is a correlation between mastery of words as an adult and early language acquisition, reading more picture books with babies and toddlers is an important strategy for building both grammar and vocabulary from an early age. “You are stretching them in vocabulary and grammar at an early age,” Massaro said. “You are preparing them to be expert language users, and indirectly you are going to facilitate their learning to read.”
Family Resource Center St. Croix Valley promotes reading with children from birth to school entry as part of its mission to strengthen children, families and communities by offering education, resources and support. Programs include Baby & Me, Play & Learn and Home Visiting as well as a Young Parent group. All groups and classes are available at no cost to families in Pierce, Polk and St. Croix counties. For more information, visit https://frcscv.org or call 715-684-4440.
In addition, several area libraries have joined a nationwide initiative, “1,000 Books Before Kindergarten,” promoting reading and related benefits in early childhood. While a thousand books may sound daunting, it is more achievable than you might think – reading just one book daily for three years is 1,095! For more information, visit your local library or https://1000booksbeforekindergarten.org.
[1] http://edsource.org/2015/study-says-reading-aloud-to-children-more-than-talking-builds-literacy/82045