Link:
Reading Aloud From Birth is Too EarlyBefore you read it, Dan Willingham is the author of the article. He also wrote the book "
Why Don't Students Like School" and is an active cognitive scientist whom I respect. Though his article sounds polemic at first (especially around here at BK), it's not.
I'm posting it because 1. Subject that is right up our alley, 2. taking a counter-intuitive position (don't read to your newborn? why not?) 3. If reading to your newborn shouldn't be recommended, then what is?
Those questions are answered in the article. I'll post a snippet here for you:
It’s too early because parents of newborns really do have other, more pressing things to think about such as sleeping, and figuring out how family routines change with the new family member. It’s also too early because a newborn probably is not getting that much out of being read to.
Do you agree or disagree?
For the most part, I'd agree with him. For an EL household, I might
still agree with him because the time and effort can be applied more efficiently than simple reading. For instance, using flash cards with an infant would get you a lot further than reading a book.
But if you have time and the inclination, then certainly I'd say do both. Willingham takes the aggregate view and worries that the lack of return (results) will wear out a lot of the less dedicated parents.
Did this change your mind, or do you still agree or disagree?
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