Reading fosters brain development in young children

Babies come into the world ready to learn. Their brains are thirsty for stimulation. Experiences that fill a baby's first days, months and years have a critical impact on brain development. Children develop much of their capacity for learning in the first three years of life, when their brains grow to 90 percent of their eventual adult weight.

It is only recently that science has taught us that a young child's active participation with their caregivers helps grow their brain. This research — the interplay between nature and nurture — forms the foundation of the Raising A Reader program.

The Aspen to Parachute Raising A Reader Program began in 2004 and currently reaches 1,600 children. Supported by research demonstrating a direct connection between reading aloud and later reading success, the program engages children from birth to age 5 in a routine of daily book sharing with their caregivers in order to foster healthy brain development, parent-child bonding and early literacy skills critical for school and life.

http://www.postindependent.com/article/20110728/VALLEYNEWS/110729887/1083&ParentProfile=1074