All our rooms at Cherry Grove have a large array of books that are constantly changing, added to, read, transported, read again, looked at, shared, and loved. We love reading as it provides children with such wonderful opportunities to experience communication that is received and can be returned. It allows children to question, develop understanding, grow their ideas, and spend valuable time with kaiako and peers.
A recent study found that young children who are read five books a day enter schooling having heard about 1.4 million words more than tamariki who are never read to (Logan, 2019 Ohio State University). Jessica Logan, who led the research, believes it could be one explanation for the differences in vocabulary and reading development of young children. The study found that children who are read to are better prepared to see those words in print when they enter school and are more likely to pick up reading skills more quickly and easily.
Logan was quick to point out in her research that it wasn't about the amount of every day communication a child heard but that children who are read to hear much more complex and wider variety of words than just the talking of parents and kaiako about daily rhythms and routines. This week I have already read a book called the A to Z of Sharks, In the Beginning, In the Garden, Ziggy Zebra, and Richard Scarry's Busy Town - and it's only Monday! That means I have engaged with our tamariki about carpet sharks, Tangaroa's gifts, eggs, France, zebra friends, snails, Lowly Worms apple car, and Banana Gorilla's unfortunate accident. These are generally not everyday conversations I have but there was plenty of learning going on for this kaiako and the tamariki around her!
Reading is unquestionably a fundamental part of development as it extends the mind, furthers communication skills, embraces a child's imagination, broadens knowledge, and is the perfect vehicle for spending focused time with children. We continue to buy new books every month at Cherry Grove as we are firm believers in the power of reading time and the learning opportunities it provides for our tamariki. You will always see our kaiako with books reading to a captive audience of one to 20 - and when our lovely local librarians arrive the numbers swell even more!
We are celebrating our current focus, Tangaroa, with a Sea Books, Legends, and Songs day this Fun Friday. We have the local librarians coming to read with us and bring lots of different books about Tangaroa and the sea to enjoy. Do you have any sea books at home that you would like to enjoy with your children this week? Let's get our Cherry Grover's being read to so they can reap the rewards of hearing more words. This also feels like the perfect opportunity to giveaway five books to one lucky family - see our Facebook page for details!