The importance of reading in early learning

The importance of stories in pre-school learning

The last two decades have witnessed a transformation in thinking about the way in which children develop learning skills before they start school.

Beginning in the late 1970s and early 1980s researchers began to investigate the importance of the early years on a child�s overall development of learning skills. These studies challenged the belief that academic learning capabilities developed only at school age. Indeed, it was demonstrated that children who went through pre-school learning programmes consistently did better than their peers who had not had the same opportunities.

These initial studies gave rise to widespread interest in pre-school education; if children can enhance their learning abilities at such an early age, it was asked, what is the best way to develop these competences and skills? Research indicates that children who engage in purposeful play and structured activities achieve a range of skills and abilities that are a good basis for academic growth at a later stage.

A well designed early learning programme can, for example, nurture social and emotional growth by facilitating children to develop a positive sense of themselves, consideration towards others, and a strong wish to learn. Story telling and reading activities can help develop language and literacy skills by developing proficiency in oral communication skills, being read to and beginning to read and write. Problem solving activities can help children develop their confidence and aptitude in reasoning and number-based skills. With a strong grounding in these important areas, children show a real aptitude for learning when they begin formal education and go on to long term achievement as they grow into young adults.

Linguistic and communication skills are fundamental to a child�s emotional and personal development as they develop a sense of self and begin to relate to others. Listening to stories helps to enrich the imagination and gives knowledge of a range of experiences that a child can draw on to give them confidence in their daily encounters with the world.

Literacy skills provide a child with the building blocks necessary for reading and writing and indeed, all kinds of learning. Through exposure to books and stories, babies and toddlers gain the fundamental tools for learning to read and write.

They equip themselves with a sizeable spoken vocabulary which helps them to listen, understand and remember what they hear. Children become aware of what a book is and how to handle it, i.e. that print looks different to pictures, that we read from top to bottom of a page and from left to right, and spoken vocabulary is linked to print. Children at a very young age start to become aware of the existence of books. Toddlers and even small babies will turn the pages of storybooks, and look at the pictures in them. Soon afterwards, parents can begin to read to their children so pre-schoolers become aware of books and begin to enjoy stories.

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