Reading Aloud To Young Children May Improve Attention

BOSTON (CBS) -- A new study in the journal Pediatrics finds reading out loud to your young child could help reduce their risk of developing hyperactivity and attention problems.

Researchers enrolled nearly 700 families in a program and videotaped them reading to or playing with their young children at regular pediatric appointments from birth through age three.

They found that the children who participated in the program had fewer attention problems and fewer disruptive behaviors when they started school compared to children who underwent standard pediatric care. The results were even greater when families continued the interactions past age three.

When a parent reads a book to a child or engages in play, the child has to focus his attention on the parent and the activity. It also it provides an opportunity for grownups to model good behavior.

Sadly, parents are spending less social time with their kids are relying more heavily on digital devices to entertain them.