According to Researcher Edward Swing, a graduate student at Iowa State University, “(Children) who exceeded the AAP recommendation of less than 2 hours a day watching television or playing video games were about 1.6 times to 2.2 times more likely to have greater than average attention problems.”
So how, in this growing age of technology and children relying on visual media for education and recreation, can we introduce other options into a daily routine that will “counteract” these effects?
Bring Back the Bedtime Story
Reading out loud to your children is a wonderful way to help them thrive in this digital world. Studies have shown that children whose parents read to them have greater brain activation which in turn benefits language development, visual association, and reading comprehension later on in life.
While listening to an audiobook or reading quietly from an e-reader can also be beneficial, it has been proven that babies and children learn best by interacting with people rather than passively through videos or audio recordings. Cuddling up with a good book at bedtime can also be highly beneficial to the growth of the parent/child relationship.
Benefits of Reading Aloud
Here are a few benefits of reading aloud for just 15 minutes a day according to ReadAloud.Org:
- Increases language development
- Develops literacy skill building
- Instills a love of reading
- Provides an opportunity for bonding
- Increases memory retention
- & More…
Books, Books, and More Books!
There are so many wonderful books out there and so many organizations that have made it their mission to help kids get access to them.
- Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a free book gifting program that mails a specialized age appropriate book to every child who is signed up. You can find a program nearest you and sign up via their website.
- Collaborative Summer Library Program, or CSLP for short, works with nearly 16,000 public libraries to bring summer reading to families nationwide. There are reading programs available to kids of all ages and even adults. Check them out through their website today to see how you can get involved this summer.
Crack open an old favorite or dive into something new but most importantly, get reading!
Drama Kids is proud to help children of all ages develop their reading comprehension and literacy development through all of our programs. Using the power of prewritten scripts, students use their voices to read, create, and perform. To learn more, visit Dramakids.com.