Q&A with Dr. Robert Needlman

It is my honor to share a short Q&A with one of the preeminent experts in early childhood literacy. I hope you will enjoy our exchange and that it inspires you to read with your children or get involved in spreading the love of reading in your community.

Dr. Robert Needlman is a pediatrician, respected author and founding board member for Reach Out and Read. He is also one of our trusted Education Advisory Board members and contributes to the curriculum at Primrose.

Dr. Z: What is the number one thing parents can do to encourage their children to enjoy reading?

Dr. Needlman: One of the most important things about raising a reader is enjoying reading with your child from a very early age. There’s no prescription for this. You must allocate time every day to sit down and connect with your child and a book. The main thing is to allow reading to be a joyful experience for both you and your child. The rest will flow from there.

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Dr. Z: Why is reading so important for early childhood development?

Dr. Needlman: Children are not independently physically healthy, emotionally healthy or cognitively healthy. They are all intertwined and connected. If there’s something that parents take away, it should be the notion that a child’s health is all connected. Reading plays a significant role in a child’s total health.

Every time a child learns his or her brain changes. Every experience that results in growth that we can see is the result of a change in the synapses of the brain. When a child goes along day-to-day… and then gets it, you know the brain has changed to allow the child to get it.

Reading builds moral development. This is not simply because there are moral lessons in books, but rather that the child begins to empathize with the characters, thinking about them and entering into their experience by using their own imagination.

Dr. Z: Should parents be focused on trying to get their child to read before kindergarten?

Dr. Needlman: From the very beginning Reach Out and Read has pushed back on the idea that children need to start reading “early” so they’re ready by the time they get to kindergarten. It’s not about how long it takes to become a reader; it’s really about laying a foundation for an interest in and a love of reading. Then, when your child is developmentally ready, they can put the pieces together.

For more thought-provoking insights from Dr. Needlman, check out his book Dr. Spock's Baby Basics: Take Charge Parenting Guides.