As the new year begins, many of us embrace the tradition of setting New Year’s resolutions—a chance to cultivate positive habits or achieve personal goals. In that spirit, why not create a list of books for your child? Whether they are books they can enjoy independently or stories you can share together, reading is a wonderful way to inspire a lifelong love of learning and exploration.

Research highlights the importance of reading at home. A study by Logan et al. (2019) found that children whose parents read five books to them daily enter kindergarten having heard 1.4 million more words than children who were not read to. This significant exposure not only enriches vocabulary but also enhances children’s ability to recognise and understand words in print, paving the way for strong reading skills.

In addition, research by Dickinson et al. (2012) highlights how combining reading with parental engagement fosters a child’s language development and overall reading success. Making reading a regular part of your family routine provides your child with a valuation foundation for educational journey.

To help you get started, scan the QR codes below for a curated selection of recommended literacy and numeracy books, tailored to various ages and interests. Here’s to a year filled with meaningful stories and joyful learning. Happy reading!

 

 

 

 

Stay tuned for our next blog post, where we will explore an interactive reading strategy you can use with your child: Shared Book Reading!

References

Dickinson, D. K., Griffith, J. A., Golinkoff, R. M., & Hirsh-Pasek, K. (2012). How reading books fosters language development around the world. Child development research, 2012(1), 602807.

Logan, J. A., Justice, L. M., Yumuş, M., & Chaparro-Moreno, L. J. (2019). When children are not read to at home: The million word gap. Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, 40(5), 383-386.