Read! Read A Lot!

The day our daughter was born, my parents generously flew up from Florida.  This support was a real priveledge and looking back, a total godsend.  Prior to our daughter's birth,  I am not sure that I had even held a newborn. Needless to say I was novice, at best.  Luckily, like most new parents, I learned quickly.   One of the best pieces of advice given to me by my mother in these first days was that I MUST read to our daughter -- EVERY SINGLE DAY.  At the time, this seemed a bit silly, especially when reading to my newborn, only 48-hours old -- but the steady emphasis on reading paid off, with huge dividends.

After reading multiple books every day to her in her first few years, our daughter was able to recognize words at 2 years old.  At first, I thought, like most toddlers, she had simply memorized the books; but friends pointed out that she could actually read. At 3 years old, she could read simple books and by pre-K, she was fully reading.  In First Grade, she enjoys reading 200-300 page books.

While some of this early reading is a result of her innate aptitude, I credit a large part of it to the constant reading to which she was exposed all the way back to her earliest days.   These early days, months and years are so important on so many levels.  Religiously reading to your children every day can be tedious at times, but remember: What you put in, is what you get out!

Notice the disproportionate number of books to toys in these photos of our daughter! Brown Bear, Brown Bear...

See also:  http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/24/us/pediatrics-group-to-recommend-reading-aloud-to-children-from-birth.html