As goals and feelings become more complex, language will be necessary to maintain and build working parent-child relationships. A strong relationship with a parent helps the child to cope in an increasingly complex world. Children with strong positive ties to their parents appear to be protected biologically. Over time, children who have the experience of sharing in dialogue with their parents will not only have more information to bring to new learning situations, but will be more likely to invest themselves in learning. They will understand that their active contribution to the process of learning is valued and that adults will be interested in helping them achieve their goals.
Children learn to sit in the parent's lap to attend and listen to a story.
They learn that if they point to pictures, their parents will often name the pictures for them. They learn to turn the pages of a book. Often very young children will practice turning the pages of an upside-down book while babbling. This is the beginning of reading. Children will insist on hearing the same story over and over and over even after they have committed the story to memory.