When my niece, Mona, was 3 years old, she always crossed the road in a hurry. Dad was worried she was putting herself in danger. He made up a story about a girl named “Mona”, just like her. Before crossing the road, she always stopped, looked left and right, and waited for an adult to hold her hand. Whenever she got out of the car or ran on the pavement in a hurry, her dad would ask, “what does Mona do before crossing the road?” She would smile, look left and right, and reach out to his hand.
This is what we mean when we talk about “the magic of personalized stories”. Even though personalized stories may seem like a modern trend, they’ve been around for decades, maybe even centuries. Many parents and grandparents tailor stories to meet the educational needs of the moment and to fit their kids’ personalities. Children carry these stories with them for a lifetime, cherish them in their hearts, and pass them down to their own kids. These stories strengthen family bonds, make shared moments special, and pass down memories of loved ones.
Apart from being a great time capsule, personalized books have many social-emotional and educational benefits. This article will show you some of these great benefits:
- A personalized book increases the child’s engagement with the story
The research and experience shows that kids enjoy reading personalized books more. When a child helps make the book, it’s even better. What does it mean for a child to be more engaged when reading? A child who enjoys reading a book more is more engaged. Consequently, he has a better relationship with reading and is more likely to request the same book (and other books) again.
More reading frequency means more opportunities for exchange and dialog between the child and the adult. This leads to more teachable moments and a stronger, more valued adult-child relationship. - Personalized books help kids deal with difficult emotions
- Whether it’s the death of a loved one, losing a pet, or moving away from a friend, stories help children understand and process their emotions. It’s been shown that reading personalized books makes kids talk more about their own feelings. Seeing the characters close up gives kids a sense of self-identification and safety, which allows them to talk more openly about their problems.
3- Personalized books boost children’s self-esteem and confidence
Every parent wants to raise a strong, confident child capable of facing adversity and standing up for himself, his values, and his beliefs. Personalized books make kids feel special. They see themselves as brave, creative and kind as the story unfolds. They feel empowered and understand how their actions can affect people and the world around them. Personalized stories foster children’s self-worth, which affects their school performance and achievement.
4- Personalized books are great for diversity and inclusion
Immersing a child directly into a story setting allows him to explore new environments and interact with characters from all sorts of backgrounds. On the other hand, despite the improvement, Muslim culture and community are still underrepresented in children’s literature. The opportunity to counterbalance this is offered by personalized books.
5- A personalized book teaches positive values
Personalized books help kids understand and describe the moral of the story better. Personalized books give kids a deeper connection with the text. Having many familiar elements, like the characters, allows children to concentrate more on the rest of the book.
6- Learning Outcomes Improve with Personalized Books
There are a lot of studies showing that personalized books directly affect kids’ verbal behavior, their language skills, their attention, and their learning. Find out more about personalized books and children’s learning here (link to article 2).
7- A Personalized Book Makes a Great Gift
The first thing you’ll notice when your child opens his present is how excited he is to see his name on the cover. The excitement will only grow when he discovers a hero who shares his name and is a lot like him/her.
A personalized book, like the stories I mentioned at the beginning of this article, holds a lot of sentimental value. It shows the kid how much he’s cherished, loved, respected and appreciated. The adults and kids get to share unforgettable moments together and create great bonding opportunities.