Reading to children has long been recognised as playing a significant positive role in their development, for all sorts of reasons. Numerous scientific and observational studies show that children who have been read to regularly from an early age enjoy a host of advantages, including higher educational attainment, enhanced confidence and even improved cognitive development.
You may have seen those phenomenal ads that boast about teaching your baby to read. There’s a smiling mother and a bubbly infant cuddled together in front of a pile of cards. The mother holds up a card and, amazingly, this tiny genius reads the word aloud.
As this scenario plays over and over again, you are soon convinced that these miracle cards are a must-have for your own child. Now before you pull out your wallet, let’s stop and think about a few things.
Is there really a product that can teach your baby how to instantly read like a pro? Should there be such a product? The quick answer is: no. Like the old saying goes, if it seems too good to be true then it probably is. The truth is that early literacy skills develop over time. There really isn’t an effective way to turn your baby into a child prodigy overnight.
