As parents, we all want to give our children the best start in life. But have you ever stopped to think about the types of images your child is exposed to daily? Or maybe beautiful illustrations in a book? What if you could boost your child's development simply by incorporating more?
According to a study by scientists at Royal Holloway, University of London, babies can make links between pictures and real objects from as early as nine months old! Exposing your baby and toddler to real-life images helps them develop a deeper connection with the world around them and helps to foster empathy and curiosity, crucial traits for their personal growth and understanding of the world.
Connections to the real world
Imagine showing your child pictures of different countries, people of various professions, or animals in their natural habitats. Each image is a opportunity for learning, sparking questions and discussions about life outside their immediate surroundings. There is a whole section of the Early Years Curriculum called Understanding the World Around Us!
Real-life images can be powerful tools to stimulate your little one's critical thinking and problem-solving abilities. When we share a real-life photo, they learn to make connections and it opens us up to talking to them more about what they can see. For example, a simple image of a park bench can open us up to talking to our baby about a visit to the park, riding on the swings and feeding the ducks; all adding to their vocabulary and understanding...yes even as a baby!
It is still just as important to share rea-life images with toddlers and older children too. Images can present real-world problems and scenarios that animated images often lack. For example, a photo of a broken bridge can prompt questions about engineering and construction which may grab the interest of those digger lovers!
Boosting Language Development
Language development is another critical area where real-life images can have a significant impact. When children see images of real people and activities, they naturally expand their vocabulary and communication skills. Your baby may not yet be able to say the words, but the repetition and connections from real-life images will help their understanding of the words you are speaking to them.
So what can you do:
There are simple ways you can help your child's development through real-life images without spending a penny:
Family Photo Albums: Regularly browse through family photo albums. Talk to them about the people, places, and objects in the pictures. A baby loves nothing more than looking at another baby!
Nature Walks: Take photos during nature walks. Later, look back at them together and remember your journey. They will soon start to recognise and say the name of the object if the walk is repeated regularly.
Educational Books and Magazines: Choose non fiction books from the library with real life images. You don't need to read the book, just talk about what you can see.
Photo Wall: Create a photo wall in your home featuring pictures of people or daily objects.
Do you have an old digital photo frame laying around? Upload images of real-life objects! Watch it together and name it as the photo appears to help your baby learn new words.
Find your nearest Story Sense class! We build our unique stories on real-life images and this is just one of many benefits of joining our sessions.
Remember, every picture is a potential lesson. Let’s make our children's visual diet as enriching and diverse as possible!