The bedtime story and language development.
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.
D001877:Books; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007804:Language Development; D008091:Literature; D010372:Pediatrics; D011932:Reading