There are tremendous benefits for children who attend high quality preschool programs; “they learn better, behave better, live healthier and earn more for the rest of their lives.” These findings come from the 1962-67 Perry Preschool Project study that followed children in the programs through the decades and into their 40’s.
However we also know that the benefits from a preschool education are often lost without a loving, caring, and academically supportive household. Whatever the level of education or income of a parent, they can support their child’s development by nurturing them with love, attention and experiences that encourage learning.
One of the best ways to give children the attention they need is to read and talk with them. Stories are how children try the world on for size, see who they are at a moment in time and see who they might become. Inside the experience of reading is a reading relationship that comes into being when parents talk with children about the story, talk with them about what matters. The currency of that relationship is the love, tenderness and affection children receive when we give them our attention in this way.
Every parent wants the best for their child and engaging with children through conversation about what matters is how parents protect and nurture their children, both intellectually and emotionally.
Think about giving your child and you the gift of a trip to the library along with a snack while you read and talk together. That gift offers a lifelong memory and will not be forgotten or discarded.
