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How parents read to their kids makes a difference
It's no surprise that children whose parents read to them are better prepared for school and are eager to learn to read.
But a review of the research found it's not just the reading itself that matters - it's also "the type of conversations . . . as well as the emotional quality of the interactions" between the adult reader and the young listener.
"The style of the reading, more than the frequency, impacts children's early language and literacy development," write Boston University School of Medicine pediatricians in their article, published online this week in Archives of Disease in Childhood.
In one style that has been shown to help children, the reader describes and labels pictures during reading sessions. In another style, the reader discusses the meaning of the story with the child at the end of it.
The review authors also urge pediatricians to play a role through programs such as Reach Out and Read, which uses routine doctor's visits as a chance to give parents a book to read to their children. Reach Out and Read, The program (http://www.reachoutandread.org/), founded in Boston, has spread to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and other centers.
