“Please, one more story; I promise I’ll sleep after that”… Whenever I hear the term “Story Books”, it takes me down memory lane to one of the sweetest memories I have. I am talking about the time when I, a 5-6-year-old, used to cry and insist my parents or even sometimes my grandparents to read one more story for me after they were already done reading plenty. 

I used to offer a swap of every possible thing under my power. Like “I’ll get up on time for school”, “I’ll drink milk without resistance”, “I’ll sleep just after you finish the story”, “I’ll eat green vegetables”, etc. All that just for getting to listen to one more of those highly interesting and imagination-triggering stories my parents and grandparents used to read to me. 

I still remember many of those stories as they make me happy from the inside and even inspire me to date due to the values those stories taught me. Like that “Thirsty Crow” story taught us that you should work hard to get what you want. The “Honest Woodcutter” story, where he didn’t lie about not owning the gold and silver axe, taught us that being honest can result phenomenally. 

Similarly, almost every story we heard from our parents back then wasn’t just interesting and fun to listen to. Those stories also had inheritable values that stayed with us for long periods or maybe to date. 

Being a talkative child, I used to be eager to tell those stories to my friends while they used to tell me some too. I don’t find any other memory from back then lasting so clearly and beautifully in my mind.              

Nostalgic? too much, right? I believe most of us have more or less lived a similar life back then as a kid. But now it is not the same anymore. Children nowadays aren’t getting that beautiful experience of reading or listening to stories from their parents. 

Children nowadays are given mobile phones instead to keep them occupied by playing games or watching YouTube. Most parents solely focus on getting some self-time or peace after their daily routine, for which they hand over their phones to their kids. Some parents even buy their kids their personal smartphones or tablets to prevent them from causing disturbance or trouble. 

These smartphones may keep children occupied and maybe even happy, but what about bonding with them as a parent? Why not use these smartphones to gel with your child? Why not give our children the memories we still cherish for ourselves?  

Yes, we are talking about stories. Why not use the latest technology like these smartphones to bring back the habit of bedtime or free time stories? We believe that all the young parents out there having young children should use storybooks to bond with them. But what will be the Role of “Story Books” to help create this bond or strengthen it? Let’s start this article with an answer to that. 

Story books as a way to bond with your child

There is a lot of evidence to suggest that storybooks can help parents bond with their children. There are many things you can do to bond with your child. However, storybooks serve that purpose best. One of the most special things you can do is to read story books together. 

This is a great way to spend time with your child and create lasting memories. Reading story books with your child can also help them develop a love for reading. They will likely want to read independently when they see you enjoying the stories. 

Further, they associate the fun and values they got out of these stories with the idea of spending time with you. Won’t that be great for your relationship with your child? If the stories you read with them or read out to them do inspire them, they’ll start to look up to you as you are the source of their inheritance of this inspiration and values. 

Why story books are essential for a child’s development

Let’s explore other outcomes of the role of story books in a child’s life. These outcomes may be well-known or obvious, but we can’t take the chance of leaving any page unturned. 

> It encourages your child to use their imagination

One of the most important roles of story books is to encourage children to use their imagination. When you read or listen to a story, you are transported to another world where anything is possible. This is important for children to learn, as it helps them to understand and process the world around them.

> It helps your child better learn a language 

Another important role of storybooks is to help develop your child’s language skills. Books expose children to a variety of words and sentence structures, which helps them to develop their own language skills. Books also help children develop their listening skills, as they need to pay attention to the story to follow along. Doing all this is necessary especially during the foundational learning years of a child to ensure the optimum development of their minds.

> It aids your child’s social and emotional development

When you read stories with your kids, or they listen to you read, they subconsciously take in different tones of voice, which helps them understand and convey emotions better. This is especially beneficial for kids who are shy or have social anxiety.

> It helps your child in developing interests or even passion

Children develop their own tastes and preferences as they grow older. If you find that your child is interested in a particular activity, storybooks can be a great way to fuel that interest and maybe turn it into a passion. For example, if your child loves animals, you can look for storybooks with animal characters. In short, you can help your children realise and carve their interests towards the field they are inclined to. 

> It overall ensures the holistic development of the child

It has been long understood that storybooks play an important role in a child’s development. In addition to providing entertainment, the role of story books also covers developing crucial life skills such as empathy, imagination, and problem-solving.

Note: Story books are sure to play this role when you use them with your child, but the only condition here is the choice of these books. There are some grounds for selecting these books that need to be considered for this process to be effective. What are those? Pay attention as we tell you that in the form of some quick tips. 

Here are a few tips to help you choose the right books for your children

• Age: Look for books appropriate for your child’s age group. Younger children will enjoy books with simple stories and pictures. In comparison, older children will enjoy more complex stories with more detailed illustrations. And not by any chance ever chose books that have violence or any other similar themes. 

• Interests: As we already told you above, storybooks can help children develop interests. But for that, you will have to choose books that interest your child.

• Reading level: Consider your child’s reading level when selecting books. If your child is learning to read, you’ll want to choose books with simple words and phrases and maybe more images. If your child is a more advanced reader, you can choose books with more complex storylines. 

• Variety- In addition to storybooks, have a variety of other books on hand for your child to read, such as books about nature, books about animals, books about history, and so forth. This will help your child to develop a love for reading. 

What if I tell you that you can get a good set of storybooks that meet all these requirements in one place? It will be awesome, right? But where will you get that? The answer is none other than the iPrep- learning app’s digital book library. 

How does the Digital book library in the iPrep app fulfil all these needs? Allow us to tell you that in our next section. 

The Digital Book Library Of The iPrep Learning App      

The iPrep app, a high-end learning app for school students from 1st to 12th, has a built-in digital library. This library has more than 100 books separately for every age group. For really young kids, it has inspirational storybooks, picture books, comics etc. For older kids, it has books on art, history, science and whatnot. 

Especially for the younger kids, every book is interesting and intriguing enough to trigger their imagination and help them learn new things and grow. All our books are handpicked in order that doesn’t violate any ground rules and neither bring any inappropriateness to the table. With every class, the books we provide in the library are perfectly suitable to the age and reading level of kids mostly present in that class. 

The variety of interesting books we have will never make your child bored of reading or listening to them. There is no limit to how many books you can read within any given time. We would rather like to see you explore them all. 

This digital library is a part of our blanket subscription in which you get various categories of Highly enjoyable and effective learning content for all classes from 1st to 12th. The app has everything required for your child’s learning, Growth and overall Holistic development. All that at the most affordable price of Rs 3000 a year. 

That price is even less than one year’s course books you purchase. But why are we giving it out for such a low price when our platform is highly content-rich and effective for learning? That is because we aim to ensure that learning is affordable for all, and our price should never be a factor in stopping someone from learning through our app. 

Wait no more and start the ultimate learning and growth journey with iPrep- the learning app. 

Whether they listen to it or read those themselves, nothing can ever defy the Positive role that Story books play in the lives of young minds

SOURCES - HTTPS://IPREP.IN/2022/11/02/THE-IMPORTANT-ROLE-OF-STORY-BOOKS-IN-A-CHILDS-LIFE/

Reading books may have several physical and mental benefits. These include strengthening your brain, increasing your ability to empathize, reducing stress, and building your vocabulary, among others.

Reading strengthens your brain

A growing body of research indicates that reading literally changes your mind.

Using MRI scans, researchers have confirmedTrusted Source that reading involves a complex network of circuits and signals in the brain. As your reading ability matures, those networks also get stronger and more sophisticated.

In one studyTrusted Source conducted in 2013, researchers used functional MRI scans to measure the effect of reading a novel on the brain. Study participants read the novel “Pompeii” over a period of 9 days. As tension built in the story, more and more areas of the brain lit up with activity.

Brain scans showed that throughout the reading period and for days afterward, brain connectivity increased, especially in the somatosensory cortex, the part of the brain that responds to physical sensations like movement and pain.

And speaking of sensing pain, researchTrusted Source has shown that people who read literary fiction — stories that explore the inner lives of characters — show a heightened ability to understand the feelings and beliefs of others.

Researchers call this ability the “theory of mind,” a set of skills essential for building, navigating, and maintaining social relationships.

While a single session of reading literary fiction isn’t likely to spark this feeling, researchTrusted Source shows that long-term fiction readers do tend to have a better-developed theory of mind.

Reading researchers as far back as the 1960s have discussed what’s known as “the Matthew effectTrusted Source,” a term that refers to biblical verse Matthew 13:12: “Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.”

The Matthew effect sums up the idea that the rich get richer and the poor get poorer — a concept that applies as much to vocabulary as it does to money.

Researchers have foundTrusted Source that students who read books regularly, beginning at a young age, gradually develop large vocabularies. And vocabulary size can influence many areas of your life, from scores on standardized tests to college admissions and job opportunities.

A 2019 poll conducted by Cengage showed that 69 percent of employers are looking to hire people with “soft” skills, like the ability to communicate effectively. Reading books is the best way to increase your exposure to new words, learned in context.

The National Institute on AgingTrusted Source recommends reading books and magazines as a way of keeping your mind engaged as you grow older.

Although research hasn’t proven conclusively that reading books prevents diseases like Alzheimer’s, studiesTrusted Source show that seniors who read and solve math problems every day maintain and improve their cognitive functioning.

And the earlier you start, the better. A 2013 study conducted by Rush University Medical Center found that people who’ve engaged in mentally stimulating activities all their lives were less likely to develop the plaques, lesions, and tau-protein tangles found in the brains of people with dementia.