Remember those big, colorful books with large pictures of balls or apples when you were a little kid? Those have proven to be helpful, according to a number of studies. Between 1 and 5 years old, introducing books to children can aid greatly because these is usually the age when intellectual capabilities form.

At age 1 to 5, a child can decide whether he wants to learn or wants to be a good learner. The road to learning starts here. Their curiosity and imagination are fed with the many pictures, sounds, and colors they find in the environment. Through this, they are able to grasp more concepts. From pictures, they eventually graduate to books with minimal words, and then picture-less books altogether.

Usually, children go to school at 5 years of age. But today, they go to school when they are as young as 1 and a half years. This is because many schools have recognized that influencing the child's formative years is very important. This can lay the foundation for the child to want to read in the future.

Parents should play a part in encouraging children to read. Even just from bedtime stories, children can feel comfort and amazement associated with reading. This can help them become better readers and better learners as they grow old.

Children have very impressionable brains. If they are absorbed books rather than television, they can improve many skills aside from reading and learning. Books can act as stepping stones to intelligence.

However, parents must be very careful not to overwhelm their children. If they force children to read books that are way beyond their reach, they might associate reading with being a boring activity that doesn't get them intellectually engaged. If this happens, the formation to intelligence will crumble.