THE PEDAGOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF FORMING A READING CULTURE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD

This article provides a comprehensive and in-depth scientific analysis of the pedagogical significance of forming a reading culture in early childhood (ages 0–7). Based on numerous national and international empirical studies, meta-analyses, longitudinal observations, and Uzbekistan’s “Ilk Qadam” State Curriculum, the article thoroughly examines the impact of reading culture on children’s speech development, vocabulary growth, improvement of phonemic awareness and grammatical structure, imagination, empathy and emotional intelligence development, reinforcement of moral and ethical values, enhancement of social skills, as well as future academic achievement and the formation of self-directed learning habits. The findings demonstrate that regular exposure to books within family and preschool environments during early childhood empirically contributes to strengthening neural connections in the brain, accelerating language acquisition, increasing levels of empathy, and fostering intrinsic motivation for reading and learning. The article offers empirically grounded practical recommendations for families, preschool educational institutions, and education policy specialists, including guidelines for the application of fairy-tale therapy, family reading programs, and innovative pedagogical methods.