An Investment in Children's Books Is an Investment in Their Future

There are a myriad reasons why an investment in children's books really is an investment in their future learning and development.

Reading books can stimulate children of all ages, in highly different ways. For kids aged zero to two years, effectively babies and young toddlers, it's more about the visual stimulation, touch and bonding between parent and child that is most important.

Typically, baby books are brightly coloured, textured and chunky - making them perfect for getting baby's senses going. As they get older, they are more excited by books with button-activated noises, lights and lift-flaps, as different areas of their brain begin to develop and pay attention to what's going on in front of their eyes.

Two to three-year-olds become more interested in the actual words, as they explore the world of talking. They tend to find one page or book and focus on it, asking their mums and dads to read it over and over again - frustrating for adults but great for kiddies' memory skills! Their favourite characters, such as those from movies, are a particular favourite at this age, as they really feel they are engaging with the character's 'life'.

As your little ones grow and begin to reach the ripe old age of five, they can handle slightly more complex texts and character stories. By this stage, they can predict what might happen, repeat the words they hear and learn about the subjects portrayed in books. For this reason, it is crucial to introduce not only works of fiction, but perhaps creative non-fiction, allowing them to learn about subjects like animals, history and fantasies such as pirates and mermaids.

When children begin to get older, they can really expand their vocabulary and knowledge by reading aloud from books, rather than just to themselves. This is also an excellent way for them to feel more grown-up, particularly if you are pro-active in asking them to read you a bedtime story!

Louis Sharman is a freelance author writes article on various topics. To learn more about various bookstores and Online Bookshops he recommends you to visit http://www.foyles.co.uk/

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