Reading aloud may help children control behavior

When you read aloud and play with your children, you are helping them control their behavior, a new study finds.

The study, published in the journal Pediatrics, showed that from birth to age 3, reading to children helps them learn words and this enables them to control their behavior when they feel angry or sad.

Parents also benefit, helping them to enjoy their children more.

The study found that children had improved behavior after their parents joined the reading/play study. The study followed up with the children and parents. It found good behavior persisted for a year and a half after the study was over. Children were less likely to be aggressive, hyperactive or inattentive.

The study was conducted by New York University School of Medicine. Parents were given books and toys and instructed to play with and read aloud to their children. Researchers videotaped the interaction and then showed parents the video, pointing out the child’s happy responses to reading and play.