title: The bedtime story and language development.
abstract: Reading to children contributes significantly to their language development in general and their reading growth in particular. Children learn to comprehend and produce oral and written language through a variety of language experiences. Exposure to the world of books through a regular story time contributes to the child's knowledge store of language, concepts, and ideas. Story time also provides practice in attending to and comprehending written language and promotes a positive association with books and reading. The developmental needs of children suggest practical guidelines for the selection and evaluation of books to read to young children. Pediatricians are in a unique position to educate parents about these developmental needs as well as language acquisition. They can guide parents in providing a rich literary experience that could contribute to the intellectual, social, and emotional growth of their children.
mesh_terms: D001877:Books; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007804:Language Development; D008091:Literature; D010372:Pediatrics; D011932:Reading