More reason to read to your kids.

We all know how valuable story-telling sessions are. Reading to your young child is not just good for bonding and fun, it is also linked to better academic performance down the road. Now, researchers say reading is important for mastering language — particularly the English language.

Canadian researchers report that reading to kids is a crucial tool in English-language development, but not other languages.

The Canadian study, published in Learning and Instruction, found that a child learning to read English — an orthographically inconsistent language where letters can have more than one sound — need more help than a child learning to read in Greek — a language with one-to-one correspondence between a letter and its sounds.

“We have found that in English, you need a rich home literacy environment — reading lots of books to children,” study leader George Georgiou of University of Alberta in Edmonton said in a statement. “It’s absolutely necessary.” 

Lacking such support, English-speaking children run the risk of falling behind at least two years versus children learning to read in Greek, the researchers said.

Georgiou recommends English-speaking parents invest time in reading to their children or at least expose them to educational TV programs such as Sesame Street and multimedia tools such as spelling games.

Remember though, the multimedia tools and educational shows will only benefit children above the age of two. Before age three, reading and talking to your child is what’s best for developing language skills. Even month old babies can benefit from hearing books read to them.

Let it run wild!

My son runs around and spends hours at a time as Superman or a T Rex. Sometimes he is Michael Jackson or a member of super rock group Queen. My daughter has several costume changes throughout the day as she goes from cheerleader, to princess, to rock star. Laundry is more work than usual, but I give in because….

Kids are hardwired to be imaginative, and the fantasies start exploding when they reach the toddler years. If you have a toddler or preschooler at home, you may find yourself being invited into their make-believe world. Just the other day I was a client in my daughter’s hair salon! Starting age 2, a child’s imagination starts to evolve, along with the increasing ability for abstract thinking. Experts advice us to support this aspect of their development.

Give their budding imagination a little push by joining in the fun. If he invites you into his imaginary world… go! Getting in the act is a great way to see how his mind works. You will also be able to learn more about how he sees his world.

An active imagination is something to embrace. And it’s more than just cute, it’s a great way to foster your child’s intellectual, emotional and social development. Experts tell us, pretend play or imaginative play nurtures the following:

Good vocabulary. Those fantasy stories are expressed with words. Books and your own stories inspire scenarios in his mind – and he has to use the words he learns, to express his own unique ideas.

Self control. As your toddler or preschooler takes on a role, he gets to practice how to handle situations to achieve his own goals. To do this he needs to master self-motivation and self control.

Socialization. If he engages in imaginative play with others, he learns that he needs to do things like being nice and waiting his turn or help others so they can accomplish what they set out to do.

Problem solving. A study at Case Western Reserve University found that young children who are imaginative tend to remain so as they get older. These same kids become better problem solvers. Tested later in life, highly imaginative kids were more resourceful when it came to coping with challenges and difficult situations, such as what to do if they forgot to bring a book to school they needed that day.

So how do we nurture imagination? Talk to your kids, read to them, take them to new places and share new experiences. It would be good to expose them to the outdoors, music, museums and other people.

One thing to limit is television. Screen media provides passive stimulation, meaning it does the thinking and imagining for your child. A little quality, age-appropriate TV or movies is fine, but the American Academy of Pediatrics says these should be limited to no more than 2 hours per day.

You should also allow your child to get bored sometimes. Yes, boredom can be good! Sometimes, well-meaning parents think their kids have to be engaged and happy every waking hour. Kids need downtime from activity too. It allows for some reflective thinking and let’s them find ways to get themselves busy. Now that requires a lot of creativity!

Good books, good night, good dreams.

During the day, everyone is off doing their own thing. Mom is busy writing and Dad is at work. Kids are in school then playground dates or after-school activities. So one of the best parts of our 24-hour cycle is spending some quality time with my toddler and preschooler, curled up in bed for their night time stories. It’s a great ritual for bonding, learning and winding down for the day. The ritual would not be complete without a few good books.

Yesterday, I shared books that my toddler especially loves. Today, we feature my preschooler’s favorites.

My Preschooler’s Bedtime Classics

Where the Wild Things Are, Maurice Sendak. The movie is out and I think Spike Jonze did a great job, but it’s probably better for the older kids. However, the book that inspired the hit movie shoult be in the hit list of every preschooler. That is, if your little one isn’t bothered by the beautifully compelling monsters drawn by author Maurice Sendak. Otherwise it’s a classic tale that many 3 to 5 year olds can relate to. A boy dealing with his anger by retreating into his imagination. The happy ending should help inspire some happy dreams.

Grufallo’s Child, Julia Donaldson The Gurfallo’s child is another character kids can relate to – treading the line between being adventurous and fearful. After an adventure seeking the Big Bad Mouse, the Grufallo seeks solace and rest back home, just like my preschooler has to do. My son seems to have a fascination with monsters, I know!

Frederick, Leo Lionni Both my kids love this book about an imaginative mouse that spends his days “gathering sun rays” and colors, that he later turns into words to liven up dreary winter days. This eventually leads his fellow mice who used to scoff at him for his lack of efficiency in field work, “But Frederick… you are a poet.” Lionni has many great children’s books, but this is everyone’s hands down favorite.

I just gave a few samples out of our repertoire for bedtime reading. My kids actually have many more favorites, and it seems they come and go depending on the wind and their whims! Other good bedtime books are  Strega Nona by Tomie De Paola, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst, The Cat in the Hat and Fox in Socks both by Dr. Seuss.

I often let my kids choose which books they want read for the night. But in times when I take it upon myself to give suggestions, my preschooler won’t say no to the ones above.

So what are your classic bedtime books?

It’s never too early to get your baby to love books. Experts say, if you want to raise eager readers, start them young. Reading aloud to your toddler, infant, or even a baby in the womb does help jumpstart language and literacy.

Your toddler may still have a limited speaking vocabulary and your baby may not pay attention too long, but just hearing spoken words enriches them by letting them grasp the rhythms and patterns of language. Just exposing them the the sounds of language is valuable.

Preschool teacher Beni Veloso who is also mom to a 4-year old says, “A child’s success as a reader begins much earlier than the first day of school. Reading and the love for reading starts at home.” She shares some of her own preschool library tricks that you can use to make your little one love books – and to get started on good reading comprehension.

Have daily reading rituals. The tradition of reading aloud at bedtime – or any other time of the day you can share – can bring out the bookworm in your child. Make this special reading time fun and add some cuddles to establish it as a positive experience.

Get in character. Does your toddler love Dr. Seuss’ Cat in the Hat? Then don the cat’s hat yourself and ham it up. The laughs will make the experience more fun. Your 3-year-old will love you, not to mention the book, even more.

Set up a book nook at home. Use child-sized furniture, like their own special reading couch, or some cozy enclosures. Reading tents are always a hit!

Make copycat books. Older preschoolers can make their own books patterned after their favorites. Let them use their imagination and put in their own twists to the stories. Let them join the cast of characters or even change the ending.

Get kids to act out the story. Kids are natural mimics. Pretend play is almost an instinct to them. So allow them to imagine themselves as their favorite book characters. Include costumes and props in their toy collections. For some kids, this experience can be quite empowering.

Another preschool teacher, Lizzie Fajardo has a few more reminders.

Read it and feel it. Bring life to the stories by reading it using different voices, intonations, facial expressions and body language. This will make it easier for a child to understand the story better. This will make story time more fun and engaging – and more interesting than the TV set!

Make books accessible. Even toddlers and preschoolers should have their own library at home. Books should be placed in low shelves or baskets so they can easily get them whenever they want to explore reading materials on their own. Yes, even if they don’t even know how to read it themselves!

Show pleasure in reading yourself. Children who grow up in a home with grown-ups who enjoy books and other quality reading materials are likely to model their enthusiasm for reading. If you love reading yourself, you are already off to a good start!

So go ahead and pick up a book – for you, and especially for your baby. As the good old Dr. Seuss says: “The more that you read, the more you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go!”