We know that reading is a beneficial activity for all children. From birth, children are designed to enjoy hearing the human language and to try it out themselves. Reading is one of the best ways we can pass the language on to our children. It is also one of the greatest ways a parent can bond with their little one. How is reading different at birth, two years, four years, and six years of age?

Here are some facts to help you maximize the time you spend reading with your little one at any age.

Birth

Reading aloud to your newborn is not just a great way to pass the time. It is a highly beneficial activity that will assist your child throughout their entire life. It is difficult to imagine that a newborn is able to benefit from the simple act of hearing mom or dad read to him (or her), but indeed he does.

Go On an Adventure with Little Truck! by Taro Gomi (for ages infant to 3)

Set Sail with Little Boat by Taro Gomi

Say Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site | Dump Truck’s COLORS By Sherri Duskey Rinker, Illustrated by Ethan Long; Illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld

Reading to a newborn exposes them to a greater variety of words. Studies have shown that in fact, this allows a child to keep a greater variety of sounds available as they learn and develop their own language, as well as foreign languages that they may choose to learn throughout life. The more words and languages they hear at birth, the easier it will be for them to pronounce each of them correctly later on.

Age Two

The age of two is a fun time for reading. Your child will enjoy and be drawn to books with lots of silly words. When you read to your child, use a great deal of voice inflection as this helps your child to learn the appropriate ways of speaking for each moment and situation.

 PENGUIN & TINY SHRIMP DON’T DO BEDTIME! 

They will especially love reading books with lots of action and emotion.

Age Four

Your four-year-old will enjoy books with adventure and plots that they can relate to their own lives. Continue to look for books with bright photos that draw them in.

Howl Like a Wolf! by Kathleen Yale is a perfect example of an interactive picture book for young readers.

They will likely want to try reading with you, so choose books that have easy words that you can sound out for them. When you read to your four-year-old, it is a great time to seize the teachable moments, and see what you can pass to them.

Age Six

Six-year-olds are learning more about the world around them, and how it relates to them as individuals.

Wally the Wayward Sea Turtle: A Story About Choices, Mistakes, and Saving Grace by Laura Joy Pewitt.

Use books that help foster empathy in children, and that talk in an age-appropriate way about being responsible members of society.

Six-year-olds often feel older than they actually are, and love challenges. They will also learn a great deal from the way you read to them, and the emotion they detect in your voice.

Reading is a great choice of activity at any age. When you read to your child, you are investing in his future. Know in advance what some of the great age-specific benefits are given to your child through reading to them, and they will benefit from it throughout life.

 

If you are looking for a fun digital and interactive children\’s story inspired by a kids\’ classic story, you will love The Ultimate Guide to Charlie out into the World.

Enter a world where collaborative play is woven into the fabric of our everyday family life. The Ultimate Guide to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory will open the door to transforming relationships, encouraging new perspectives, and indulging in the happiness and the joy of innovating with your children.

Who is Charlie? The Ultimate Guide to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is an interactive, adventure that leads us through the Chocolate Factory with stops along the way to create, laugh, and learn. It reawakens the passion and idea of “jumping” inside the pages of this book with the knowledge that each chapter is a gateway into a magical world. Now available on iTunes, it’s your opportunity to truly experience where art, literature and technology meet allowing you to feel the story like never before.

Charlie was born of a unique collaboration between co-authors Valarie Budayr and Roscoe Welply, this dynamic duo along with Kite Readers have crafted an enchanting world that leaps from the pages, and coaxes the reader to immerse themselves in the adventures that await them at the Chocolate Factory.

What You Can Expect with Charlie:

• A bridge between the “plugged” and “unplugged” world for families
• A book that brings families together reading and enjoying their imaginations.
• Creation of an atmosphere where reading becomes a family event instead of a solitary act.
• The option to educate, inform, and entice children to want to know more about the world they live in.
• The delight of pulling the story off the pages, and the act of bringing the pages to LIFE.

Gather your family and come along on a magical journey into one of the most beloved children’s books of all time to experience a story like never before. You will have a front row seat to this delightfully illustrated and fabulously written children’s enhanced digital e-book that will come to life with not only a great story, but over 20 activities and crafts that will spark their imagination and awaken their inner child.

Are you read for an adventure? Enter HERE to start the Charlie experience or grab your download on iTunes.

Disclaimer: This book is not affiliated or associated with the author, publisher, or distributors of Roald Dahl’s book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.