Reading to Your Child Enhances Imagination

Reading stimulates imagination, language, and learning. Reading to a young child introduces them to new ideas, experiences, and concepts that they might not encounter otherwise.

Young children need to be exposed to reading early in their development. According to the National Education Association (NEA), young children who are frequently read to are more likely to develop imagination and key language, learning, and cognitive skills such as; counting, recognizing letters of the alphabet, and the ability to write their name. These, and many other benefits, appear to develop greater and faster in young children who are read aloud to. It is also apparent, that the more you read to a child, the more the child wants to be read to, and or to read on their own.

For young children, choose books with large, vibrant illustrations. Reading aloud illustrated picture books, with strong story visuals, is essential to broadening the aural, visual, and written vocabularies, in young developing minds.

If you are reading a story for the first time to a young child, and you introduce the word "ostrich", and the child does not know what an ostrich looks like, it is unlikely the child will have created a useful visual association with the word to incorporate it in further in their imaginative play. However, once a young child absorbs new input, of both words and images, they have a starting point to develop new imaginative ideas.

It is productive, in the cognitive development of a young child, to expose them to as much aural, visual, and written input as possible, including letters and words, numbers and counting, and corresponding images. As well as demonstrate the relationships of these concepts. This will give the young child a strong foundation to inspire and develop imaginative responses.

Young children who develop and exhibit vivid imaginations are more likely to exhibit strong verbal communication skills. When playing with others, it is essential to be able to communicate well, especially when they are trying to convey the "make-believe" world that is in their imagination. By reading aloud to a child, the child will become more confident in their understanding and command of language. Thus, strengthening communication skills, helping them to better express themselves with others.

Erik Dunton (www.ErikDunton.com) is a children's author, illustrator, and songwriter who is a New Hampshire native, spent 30 years in Nashville, TN, and currently resides in Lexington, KY. Erik has had a long career as a musician and graphic designer with a background in early childhood development and special education, and recently, he has focused his talent and experience on writing and illustrating children's books and writing and performing children’s music. Earlier this year, Erik created Big E! Publishing, a company dedicated to producing quality children's books, music, video, and other media.

To contact Erik, at Big E! Publishing, for media inquires, book review submissions and requests, book signing events, or an interview, please send inquiries through email: ErikDunton.Author@gmail.com