Reading lays the foundation for language, skill development, has social & emotional benefits

Reading is essential for language and literacy development

                           

No longer a luxury: Study highlights the importance of reading stories to children.

Listening to stories is no longer a luxury; it has become a crucial step in strengthening young children's language and reading skills. A new study has shown that listening to and talking about stories lays the foundation for language and literacy development, and has social and emotional benefits, according to the Times of Malta.

The report stated that storytime at home, nursery, or school is the time when young children experience the magic of books. It also found that reading stories to young children is an enjoyable activity in itself, as it also lays the foundation for language and literacy development and has social and emotional benefits.

Decades of research have confirmed a clear difference in language skills between children who spent storytime at home and those who did not. It also indicated that conversational reading impacts children's vocabulary, as well as their reading and writing scores. Additionally, the research indicated that 36 children with delayed vocabulary were divided into groups that participated in shared reading or shared conversational reading.

While both groups showed improvement, the conversational reading group made significantly greater vocabulary gains. Fofi Demissie, a senior lecturer in early childhood education at Sheffield Hallam University, said that in 2024, the Public Speaking Commission, an independent body that seeks to integrate public speaking into the curriculum, published a report highlighting the importance of public speaking.

The report noted that public speaking prepares children and young students for the demands of their future lives, as it is essential for giving a presentation, arguing an idea, and participating confidently in university seminars and business meetings. 

The report also noted that access to high-quality public speaking instruction is not available to everyone. Dr. Demissie concluded by saying that the linguistic, social, and emotional benefits of storytime mean it should be considered an essential part of the early childhood curriculum, not just a luxury or an add-on.

A Valuable Tool

Language and communication are key areas of early childhood education and child development from birth to age five. Practicing dialogic reading is also a valuable tool for developing young children's public speaking skills—the ability to express ideas while speaking, listen carefully, and communicate effectively.