World Book Day

We had to leave home earlier than usual yesterday morning to get the whole family to our daughter's pre-school for breakfast. Breakfast was in aid of World Book Day. The children were asked to dress up as one of their favourite book characters and bring a book to share. Our little one was desperate to dress as a Princess but was adamant she had to take her special 'The Three Billy Goats Gruff" story with her. I tried to persuade her to dress as a goat but when she retrieved her sparkly shoes from the dressing up box I knew I was onto a losing battle there!

It is well known amongst parents that books are good for children. That reading to them and with them is beneficial. There is nothing like that feeling of snuggling up with your little ones and a good story. It is a moment of peace in the day. A chance for a cuddle and some one-to-one time. Magic!

What I guess is not so well known, is why books and reading are so good for your child's development and how you can help them to read, speak, listen and write... important skills for life. I picked up a leaflet at pre-school this morning that had some important points in it that I had never considered before. It became clearer to me why Play-doh, sand and water play, painting and music are so important in their early development.

Your child will notice adults around them reading and writing and will want to copy them. Mark making is the first step towards writing and is closely linked to physical development. The more chance a young child has to develop large and small movement in their arms, hands and fingers the easier it will be to make marks with their tools (pencils, paint brushes etc)

The good news is that activities such as digging, painting and swishing a scarf through the air to make shapes all count. So now we can dig, paint and play to our heart's content safe in the knowledge that whilst we are having fun, there is a hidden benefit there for our kids.

We hope you had a good World Book Day and enjoyed your bedtime story last night!