It’s no secret that children love to hear stories. And reading aloud to your child doesn’t just offer an enjoyable way to spend time with them, it comes with a whole host of benefits; from helping to support their cognitive development to promoting language and literacy skills.

A study conducted by the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development and the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, found that “the frequency of reading to children at a young age has a direct causal effect on their schooling outcomes regardless of their family background and home environment.”

The question is, how do you turn your child into a beloved bookworm and instil a lifelong love of reading to give them the best head-start in life? We’ve put together this simple four-step guide to help.

1. Start early: Babies love to hear the sound of your voice. In the first several months of your child’s life, the act of snuggling up and reading to them is more important than what you read to them, as it creates a comforting bonding experience and an enjoyable connection to books and story-time.
2. Visit your local library: “Many libraries have more to offer than books,” says Jo Laretive, K-6 Teacher Librarian at Moriah College Primary School. “They hold special events, song and story-time sessions that you can get involved in with your child. It’s also a great idea to take young children for a visit to the library and let them have a wander around and pick out their own book to read. That way, they feel more involved, rather than feeling like this is just being something Mum or Dad is trying to make them do.”
3. Find out what your child’s school has to offer: Parents of students at Moriah College can access the online eLY platform for information on the school’s library services. In addition to its well-stocked libraries, Moriah also offers its students free access to Story Box Library and Storynory for eBook and audiobook downloads.
4. Know what’s age-appropriate for your child: There are a number of book review websites available so that you can find the best books for your child’s age. We recommend you check out the following:

• http://readingtime.com.au/
• http://www.kids-bookreview.com/
• http://readitlovedit.com/home.html