Discover the importance of reading to children

I cannot stress enough the importance of reading to children. By reading aloud to your children, you will not only form lasting bonds and great memories, but you will give your child the gift of reading and help them excel in school and in life. Reading to your children has many benefits. What are they?

Well, many things.

Read to your children:

• It gives them a head start and improves their language skills: children who have been read to regularly are ahead of children of the same age in their classes. They have better language and reasoning skills that help them excel academically.
• Increases their vocabulary – By reading books that are above your child’s grade or reading level, you are exposing them to much more difficult words. While they couldn’t read these words on their own, with you reading the words to them, they can learn new words and greatly expand their vocabulary.
• Enhances their imagination and creativity: Reading books to your child that include all kinds of different settings will boost your child’s imagination and creativity. This is a good thing. Good imagination and creativity will help your child develop problem solving skills and be able to think “outside the box”.
• Teaches Proper Grammar and Sentence Structure: Listening to you read good quality books teaches your child proper grammar and sentence structure naturally. This will give your child an academic boost and it will be easier when it comes to learning grammar and writing.
• It teaches your child to express himself better: Listening to characters in a book solve their problems and communicate with others teaches your child to be able to do the same.
• Improve listening skills: Because the books you read to your child will be interesting, they will learn to sit up, listen and pay attention, they won’t want to miss anything. This skill will carry over to other parts of your life.
• Prepare your children to read – Nothing prepares your child more to become a good reader than reading aloud to them. It whets their appetite for reading good books, learning new things, going on adventures through books, and teaches them all the skills mentioned above.
• Instill a love of reading and good books: reading aloud to your child opens up a whole world. She will love that you read to her and she will learn that books and reading are good things.
• Encourage your children to become readers: As your children get older, they will want to continue what you started by reading to them. Naturally, they will want to read because it was such an enjoyable activity that they shared with you.
• It broadens your child’s horizon and introduces him to new experiences and places – when reading, the sky is the limit. You can be transported anywhere and at any time – experience any period of time and a wide range of emotions. This exposes your child to many different situations that he can learn from.
• Build lasting bonds with your children – Read to your child every day. This time will quickly become his favorite time: time just for you and him. By doing this, you will form bonds that will last a lifetime.

As you can see, these are all good reasons to read aloud to your children.

Start reading to your children every day when they are babies. Start with “board” books. You know, the thick board books that babies can’t destroy (or at least not so easily). These books are great ways to introduce colors, shapes, animals, rhymes, and rhythms to your babies.

As they get older, read them lots of nursery rhymes and Bible stories. Choose a Mother Goose nursery rhyme book that has cute pictures. By doing this, you will also be exposing them to a great piece of art.

Continue reading to your children until they don’t want you to read to them anymore.

Be prepared: they may be quite old before this happens.

Now that you know the importance of reading to children, there is only one thing left to do. Start reading!