Breaking the reading code is an important milestone for children. Suddenly, a whole new world opens up for little ones with fiction, non-fiction, fantasy books and more providing hours of entertainment.

Reading is not only a source of great joy and fun for kids - it is also the key to further learning, which makes it an important part of the job we do as parents. Most children love stories and many parents have fond memories of reading during their own childhood.

Reading helps develop learning

Reading with children from a young age affects their schooling in several ways, as shown by research from the University of Stavanger, which in 2014 and 2015 completed the project On the Track in Rogaland.

Based on 1,171 first grades and their parents, the researchers measured the reading and writing skills among the students, while the parents were asked about both their own and the children's reading habits at home. The conclusion was - not very surprisingly - that the greater the importance of books in children's lives when they are young, the better equipped they are to learn to read at school.

Reading for the kids not only strengthens their vocabulary, but also teaches them something more basic: the relationship between letters and sounds.

Concentration and imagination

Another good reason to start reading as soon as possible is that it increases concentration - and in the long term better equips children to keep up with lessons in school. And literature also makes children better equipped in other ways, according to the association.

In its list of ‘10 good reasons to read for and with children’, the organization cites social skills as a valuable by-product of reading. By experiencing situations and experiences outside of everyday life, the toddlers are trained to familiarize themselves with the feelings of others.

And, of course, emotions, imagination and curiosity must of course not be forgotten. The ability to create your own images in your mind is one of the greatest luxuries experienced when reading, and will certainly come in handy in creative situations later in life.

Pickatale is for children of all ages

With Pickatale, children can listen to audiobooks or try to read books by themselves. And if they come across new or difficult words, they can tap on them to hear how they should sound when spoken out loud.

There is a lot of mastery in being able to read a book alone. Pickatale makes it easy to choose books by age or reading level, so readers will always find a book that fits with their interest and reading ability. With Pickatale’s interactive book technology; entertainment and learning are brought together so that children can develop their literacy skills through play.