Relationship Between Reading and Brain Development

Anecdotal evidence suggests that at birth, a child's brain is developed by only 25%. Perhaps a sobering fact, the remaining 75% is - gulp - up to you through the stimulation of all five senses. 

According to Mem Fox, in her book Reading Magic: Why Reading Aloud to Our Children Will Change Their Lives Forever, by the child's first birthday, the foundation will already have been set with regard to his or her cleverness, imagination and creative being. Fox suggests that it may be too late for a child to begin reading if he or she has not begun to do so prior to entering school. Reading difficulties are not easy to fix, so, parents, prevention is key; wise Ben Franklin once said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." This infamous quote can be applied to a great deal of topics today, including literacy, no less.

A child's intellectual development has been linked to close verbal communication by the age of three. Speech begins with being spoken to, and reading aloud is the perfect time for the special bond between parent and child, and intellectual, reading, and speech development. By the time a child hears speech, music, and repetition, the foundation of early literacy has begun. Without any verbal communication, or lack thereof, children will have a more difficult time wanting to learn to read.

So, read, read, read, and play the important role of giving the gift of all-things related to brain development.

Words Are All Around Us

Traffic signs, banners, advertisements...words are all around us.

As adults, we take reading for granted. We tend to forget that without our knowledge, we would not be able to read anything. It was not until I had my daughter - and started reading and pointing out words from all over town - that I realized this simple fact, and I thought, “What a perfect opportunity to teach outside of the box!"

I am happy to announce that it worked - for one day, out of the blue, my little girl said to me, “Mommy, that sign says ‘stop!'" My eyes grew big and my mouth dropped. “She really did pay attention to me!"

To this day, I seize every opportunity to read to my children, not limiting myself to books. By doing so, they acknowledge that those “letters" are actually words...words that are all around them.

Knuffle Bunny or Kuh-Nuffle Bunny?

We checked out the award-winning Knuffle Bunny series by Mo Willems. Consisting of three books, we followed Trixie from the stage of toddler-hood to early childhood. The entire elements of the series are like none other.

First Book in the Series

Upon opening the first book, I fell in love with the story, as did my children. Parents can appreciate the humor when, as a toddler, Trixie went “boneless," falling to the ground, in a desperate plea to get her daddy back to the laundromat to get her beloved, Knuffle Bunny. I can honestly say that I laughed out loud. Oh, have I had my fair share of “boneless" bodies from both of my children in public. (And why do they suddenly become 20 pounds heavier when they do so?)

Second Book in the Series

Skipping ahead to the last book, Trixie cannot find her dear friend shortly after arriving in Holland on a trip to visit Oma and Opa. Does she find her Knuffle Bunny? Does she go “boneless" again? (You can proceed with reading my post for I will not give it away.) However, I will express my sadness as I read the final part of the book. I thought to myself, “Surely, this cannot be it! No!" Perhaps it was noting the age similarity between my daughter and Trixie, or maybe it was the combination of that and the dedicated note to Trixie at the end.

I am always on the lookout for unique illustrations and this one hit the jackpot. With classic black and white photography near the author's home in Brooklyn, Willems adds his highly expressive cartoonish-style to each scene - quite brilliant, I think!

The Last Book -- Sniff, sniff!

If you are looking for a new book to read to your child, I highly recommend reading the Knuffle Bunny series. There was certainly an energy between the expressive characters, illustrations, and stories surrounding Trixie and Knuffle. I am certain you will grow with Trixie, her mommy and daddy, and the star of the show, Knuffle, as well!