Books & Babies

There was a large research study conducted by the government a few years back called the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS). Basically, the government wanted to know what really and truly affects kids' standardized test scores (Why the government is so obsessed with standardized test scores, I will never know!) Anyway, they looked at a bajillion factors and bajillion students, watched them all grow up and take standardized tests.

The final word on the matter is that only a few factors actually affect kids' standardized test scores. One of the big ones is the number of books a family has in its house. More books translates to higher test scores (Take that Kindle!) Such a conclusion sounds like a bunch of hogwash to me. How can the mere presence of book in a child's home affect their achievement on tests? Don't you have to read to your kid for them to enjoy books?

I would think yes but Baby J has shown me that there is significant play value in simply having books around. We have tons of books in our house. Too many to count. Baby J goes to the shelves, pulls down about ten, and then proceeds to flip through them. She creates piles around herself and could spend all day just flipping pages. She carries them around with her. She licks them on occasion. Books are the go-to toy in our house. Despite the introduction of blinking, singing Christmas gifts.

Maybe there is some benefit to just giving babies piles of books to play with.

Of course, the ECLS only looked at standardized test scores and any parent who measures their child's success in life through SAT's deserves a quick succession of karate chops to the head.

Anyway, go give your baby a book. If you don't have a baby, go give someone else's baby a book. If you don't know anyone with a baby, you might want to consider making one on your own.