Description

In this video, Dorothy Thomas exposes the idea of reading to children and the benefits of this practice.

Transcript

Wendy Turner Webster: Hello and welcome to Baby Talk on the Baby Channel. I'm Wendy Turner Webster we've got a distinctly literary theme for todays shows coming up Dorothy Thomas editor of parenting website bounty.com is here to tell us why is it so important to read your little one because later childrens all Gillian Shield's will be here on the, so if reading from the her book to star light baby and talking about her career so first of all I would like to welcome Dorothy Tomas to the show hello Dorothy? Dorothy Tomas: Hello. Wendy Turner Webster: How are you? Dorothy Tomas: Fine, thank you. Wendy Turner Webster: Good excellent, now you if had course to do quiet a big research project recently haven't you all about that the pros an cons of bed time reading and the importance of it or not just tell be of about how will that research came about? Dorothy Tomas: I'm Bound to did some research around national story telling week of the end of February. Asking parents whether or not they read to the children of bed time and there are about 2000 parents followed and the results came through and they were, little bit startling one in 10 parents never read to their children at bed time and one I think its 13% who read to them very other night so there is no philosophical children out there, who want having a bed time story. Wendy Turner Webster: Did your research sort of acetone, why that one in ten what did you get the reason why they were doing it. Dorothy Tomas: Busyness too many other things occupying the parents time and diverting the children, so its sometimes hard to find the time and to make the time to sit down at the end of the day establish that kind of bed time routine were you tuck your little one up in bed get their favorite story often read it to them and its not everybody that who do that naturally some people were actually have to sort of force themselves to make the time to do it. Wendy Turner Webster: Did the research show that it makes a big difference to read to your target? Dorothy Tomas: Yes very much so. Wendy Turner Webster: How important it is. Dorothy Tomas: Yes its. Wendy Turner Webster: I mean did it be common sense tells it is but what the survey show. Dorothy Tomas: The survey self reveal the statistics I have just discussed with you but some on the back of that has been a lots of research, which the survey toped into done by organizations such as the national literary trust and also the government itself and is early is strategy you know how we should be helping pre-Schooler's to learn as discovered the reading to little ones who children who are under 4 or 5 years old actually helps them to learn to concentrate until listen and those two skills are some of the most valuable once so they can take into the class room with them and a child that hasn't been read to when they are tiny finds it much more difficult to concentrate, when they get into reception class and so they start losing out before they've even had a chance to you know pick up a book may be and that's why it is so important to make sure that it becomes a habit. Wendy Turner Webster: Yeah, I think the other positive think and it is well just going from my own experience as a parent, who really religiously every night does read sometimes read more than other nights you know time constraints what happens but I will always do it, it's a really nice sort of ten minutes or 15 minutes that you are creating your children it's a quiet movement they will hanging on your very word there is no other destructions as we talk -- bed and I think they must surely be a positive angle on them as well. Dorothy Tomas: Absolutely that's having that relationship with your child were you are sharing something lovely together you is know is very, very special and your child will listen most to you as you know their parent so whatever you assigned then what you are telling them they are going to absorb that better from you than from any one else. Wendy Turner Webster: Surely makes then sleep better as well. Dorothy Tomas: And I think its does is very restful will that certainly exactly depends what it is and you ask question and choose calm and soothing at bed time but my own you know my elder daughter who is five we always read to her bed time and its real habit it's a real routine that we all enjoy especially for we choose books that we would love reading ourselves not just once that the children like if sometime as you know they can be desperate either and I just push three of them along which were absolutely favorites with daisy my five 5 year old. Wendy Turner Webster: Okay so what's go here did this is a very popular one. Dorothy Tomas: This one was actually the most popular one in the bounty pole and the parents told. Wendy Turner Webster: 16%. Dorothy Tomas: Yeah very truth very hungry caterpillar by a area called as number 1 bed time read and it's lovely it's a really good fun, very simple, very short children little children love and its nice for parents read as well. Wendy Turner Webster: I think that's it just well when you know say short I mean to be honest I come and I am sure you come as well you know when you are sitting down and you are think and they are saying mum we can have a bed time story and they hand do a book and they oh god its going to take be often now and its read this and you might be tired, so you have go do yourself favorite haven't you and pick the right book. Dorothy Tomas: Exactly and also they can only concentrate only for so much time specifically when that -- one, two, three the don't have to concentration spend of a 5 year old, so you know a nice little book like that capture their imagination it gives them a feel for what fun stories can be. Wendy Turner Webster: But I find you can't go too briefly on the book because they feel really sure change that you let you know about it straight away. Dorothy Tomas: We usually have tummy fits if they were sure with Daisy doo have tough too. Wendy Turner Webster: Too that's right, yes. Dorothy Tomas: And they may come for it and that was the little one. Wendy Turner Webster: This is on the list or just on the face book. Dorothy Tomas: On the list but that's is a really favorites and I don't think home any of the 5 year old that Daisy's friends were doesn't know that book they read it in school they ever use a kind o thing that you give as cruising present or a birthday present, when they are tiny and Genis -- fabulous of this and again peepo's and other classic of this, which I think most you know most of us are familiar with you know even if we haven't had children. Wendy Turner Webster: Do you remember being read do when you listen. Dorothy Tomas: I do, I remember more reading myself I was very into books when I was little and I can very clearly remember reading naughty books and getting into all of these Enid Blyton stories. Wendy Turner Webster: Yes, me too. Dorothy Tomas: Very much said but I don't remember much before the age of four but I know that I could read and write, when I went to school there must have been something going on. Wendy Turner Webster: Yes Dorothy Tomas: As I said I can't remember. Wendy Turner Webster: Something good happening in your house hold. Dorothy Tomas: Exactly Wendy Turner Webster: I remember not saying much being read to at night but definitely every night particularly from my dad these stories you know did you survey or do you have any personal view on perhaps not you don't have to read a book as such but you just make up a story if your child at night. Dorothy Tomas: Yes, I think that that's if you are able to do that I think that's the most fantastic thing. If you have the confidence the imagination to make up a story to tell your child then that is just as good as rising them a good book because they are watching you use your imagination in that way and it can only make them think well you know if they can do I can do it and they will then remember that as they would remember a good book that they were read, when they were little so and I national story telling week is actually is all about that and it is obviously before we had books before we knew how to read that's how we told stories it was an oral tradition before it became you know literary one, so its just as importance that I think fact is teaching the same skills of listening and concentrating whether or not you are reading from a book were your making a tap yourself so all to the good really. Wendy Turner Webster: One of my kids favorites stories you is constantly is by the bed to read and it is that three Billy gates and because when I first started to read to them you know you perform all the different voices of the goats. Dorothy Tomas: Yes, we try to imitate yes. Wendy Turner Webster: And that's how we do and I have seen quiet enjoying this, being the troll and to the bridge. Dorothy Tomas: Yeas, I mean I think Jelly I was talking to Jelly and she was quiet thinking that she got on later and I was talking to her earlier and she was saying that she is actually very good for you to read to your child for the adult because its you know it helps you learn as per as to communicate with your children in a way which is so much fun so and also to read something that is beautifully written is always you know a wonderful think and if you've got the talent were the voices on as well as then fantastic. Wendy Turner Webster: As a good you know lets say its funny because I mentioned earlier about a not reading stuff that going to frightened them so taking and that much but I suppose there are some books that you can't be reading themselves as it is going to stimulate their mind and sort the wait the laugh and give them a little bit imagination and stuff you got to be careful of what you choose. Dorothy Tomas: Yes, I think that you would have to I think you just use your own judgements really and common sense. Well, they haven't set that children don't seem to be frightened I think the husband research into this that don't seem to frightened with things that we necessarily think about quiet scary. Wendy Turner Webster: That's right yes, we imprint ion it. Dorothy Tomas: I knew a lot you saying about the Bill goats gruff and when you say as you think about it that's quiet scary you know nasty creepy thing under a bridge. I bet your child left it and you know the wolfs and the dragons and the Billy goats and the witches children don't necessarily find those things frightening they find them exciting and it will be strangest things that were frightened them that you wouldn't you know even think about so all of us old fashion stories that have this kind o character that they might think a little bit creepy probably one of the reasons they do work so well like the red right and gets the Cinderella is as they because children like a little bit of excitements they think its exciting and also usually a happy ending. Wendy Turner Webster: But there is nothing like the wickets that have. Dorothy Tomas: Exactly Wendy Turner Webster: Now what age do you think or in fact is there a starting age when is it good time to start reading for the kids. Dorothy Tomas: As soon as they are born if not there is other cause of reading to them when they are in the womb I mean I don't know how much you know. Wendy Turner Webster: We could never image. Dorothy Tomas: Exactly, but some certainly anybody who is involved in the area of teaching children how to read or say you can't start early enough. You know even before they know you know what a book is they can -- they will hear your voice they know your voice almost before they know anything else if they can hear you telling them a story then they are guessing something from that I don't receive that I know what a book is and when they are a little bit older they can handle the book they still what really no what it is but they will start guessing the main the connection and they may have already got the habit and they are already use to it and they will doing to a demanding with story from use, you wont be able to get out of with it. If they got the reverse one they turn story. Wendy Turner Webster: You know just a start as much as course they will come upon were your child will not is not appropriate any more to read a bed time story to not even see they are 14 year old, that un story. Dorothy Tomas: An earlier which is you know because there are so many other thing saying or their attention. Wendy Turner Webster: So keep it going as long as fast. Dorothy Tomas: Absolutely and get in there because it may be a very short fortune to see you might be suffering many years to read to then so start reading them before you know they get bored of you. Wendy Turner Webster: Absolutely so enjoy it okay thank you very much Dorothy for coming in really interesting coming up author Gillian Shield's who have been in the studio a passage from her book the Star light baby that's of fro to look some of your baby photos and your photo gallery the beautiful babies. If you want to see your babies photo here this sis what you have to do tae a photo using the camera on your mobile phone and then use the text messaging function to send us the photo the number you dialed is on the screen 07811 407 949 each photo send will cause one pounds last one charges and we will feature these on our photo gallery. Hello I'm the childrens author Gillian Shield and I am going to read my new book "Starlight Baby" There was a baby who had no mother crying in the star light and as the stars burned the babys tears call to the watching world stars bright stars can you love me will you be my mother but the stars some of feel sleep far away in the deep sky moon sliver moon can you worn me will you be my mother but the moon blinked cold and pale above the world wind west wind can you hear me will you be my mother but the wind grew and wild and hauled over the hills trees oh trees will your branches hold me will you be my mother but the trees shook their heads in the hurrying wind hill great hill will you show to me will you be my mother but the hill slept on crouching over its stony heart wolf wild wolf can you feed me will you be my mother watch wolf flicked her cubs and snored in the shadows, stream clear stream will you wash me will you be my mother but the stream rushed over its bright bed and could not stop there was a women who did not smile because she had no child she sat at her window looking up at the stars and the wind carried her cry of a baby to her heart can you hear me will you feed me worn me hold me wash me shelter me can you love me and the women answered yes she ran out into the night and the moon met her path the stream let her down the hill the trees swayed and the wild wind point to the way the wolfs tracks made a trial for her to follow and till at last she cam to the place and found the baby lying on to the stars I will be you mother little one she said so the baby stopped crying and the women smiled then the night was over and to the morning stars shine out as they went home together.