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Every beloved parent is always on the lookout for exciting ways to develop their child’s reading skills. Reading skills refer to a child’s ability to understand and comprehend written text. Therefore, forming a reading habit at an early age is very crucial. Experts say that board books are the best way to start the practice of reading. Let’s find out what a board book is and why parents should collect some quality ones for their child.
Importance of reading to children.
The perfect activity to cultivate a habit of reading in your child is to read aloud together.
Reading books aloud and associating pictures with real-life objects help them understand the importance of language. It also helps in developing their listening skills. It helps in increasing concentration and discipline. In addition, it also supports cognitive development. There are various types of books for children. The best one, to begin with, is a board book.
What is a board book?
A board book is a subgenre of a picture book for infants and toddlers. The ideal age group for board books is 0 to 3 years. The illustrations, text, size and colour palette are designed to draw the attention of the toddlers. It is made with highly durable paperboard.
Board books are bound with unique folding, unlike traditional books, which are generally bound together with sticking glue or staples.
Why should you pick a board book for your child?
Board book has several benefits:
- Safety: The book is designed in a manner to be safe for babies. The corners of the books are rounded out as to not result in accidental paper cuts. Additionally, as it is made of paperboard, you would rather have them chew on the edges than swallowing bits of paper.
- Easy to understand: These books have simple subjects considering the age of the readers. They generally consist of around 12 pages. The word count doesn’t exceed 300 words. Alphabets, colours, animals, fruits and numbers are usually the content of these books.
- Durability: Their construction is sturdier compared to other books. Therefore, it can resist the wear and tear babies like to inflict on them.
- Practicality: These hardback books fit perfectly in a child’s tiny hands. They can be easily turned and stacked. Board books are perfect for babies to hold and drool on.
- Features: Board books have different parts to ensure engagement like lift-the-flaps, touch and feel, pop-ups and finger tabs. Moreover, even the shapes of books can be customized according to the topic. For example, a form of an animal, fruit etc.
Choosing the best board books
All should pick outboard books thoughtfully as they are a baby’s first exposure to books. A few things to consider while selecting a board book are:
- A good story: Everyone loves a good story no matter what their age is. And considering you might be reading the story to them, you might as well choose a book with an exciting account.
Fewer words:
- A good story doesn’t necessarily have a lot of words. As the attention span of babies is significantly less, books with fewer words should be considered.
- Illustrations: Books for babies should be colourful and have engaging images. Babies love faces and facial expressions. They also like cartoons with real faces. Hence, books with real faces are always a hit.
- Rhyme: Board books with a pattern of repetition and rhyme are fun to read and listen to. It also helps in language development and phonological awareness.
- Mood: Choosing a book according to a purpose is a good approach. Do you want your child to have a little laugh, or do you want to put them to sleep? A book with calming light colours will drive them to sleep. While a book with contrast bright colours will be stimulating.
Perfect places to read to kids
In a treehouse: Parents should encourage their kids to bring books to adventures. These exciting elements make reading part of the fun. A treehouse is the most magical place for a kid. There are various types of treehouses. The traditional ones built on the trunks, a treehouse suspended from branches, on slits and forest floors.
In a bed: Developing a practice of reading in bed at the end of a day is a great idea. Reading before bed is known to be a stress reducer. It also helps the child to sleep faster and better. Also, distracting the mind by others story helps in keeping the mind off of your troubles.
On the grass: There’s a certain comfort laying a blanket on the grass and settling with a good book. Children should be encouraged to read under the natural light of the sun. Parents can also have a picnic and soak some sunlight while enjoying reading to them.
Reading in the age of technology.
Reading skills play an essential role in shaping a one’s personality. In this digital era, children are more attracted to mobile and computer screens.
What is AR zone app has loads of features to play with for kids. Children can have fun with the AR emoji camera and emoji studio. There are other features like the AR doodle, deco pic quick measure etc. In this technological era, anything can be available on our gadgets.
Similarly, books can be downloaded and shared through various applications. The download share me for pc can help transfer such files to your computer. It allows the children to have a more comprehensive screen, ensuring clearer vision.
Final note
To conclude, board books are a great and exciting way to develop their skills. Reading to children nurture a love of books and reading. It also helps in forming a loving connection between the parents and the child. But having said this, it is also essential to choose the correct board books for your children. As mentioned earlier, various elements contribute to creating that perfect board book. Each of those should be kept in mind while picking a board book. Thus, board books should be an essential part of your child’s growth years.
