How many books did you read as a child? It’s okay if you don’t remember. Whether or not you loved to read as a child, you can certainly instill good reading habits in your children.
Reading can be fun, exciting, and a good bonding moment for both of you. But there are also some great benefits of reading that come when you read together every day.
- Encourages Imagination
If you’ve ever watched a child play make-believe, dress-up, or with their toys, you can see that they love to use their imagination. Children make up all kinds of fun scenarios that encourage excitement, adventure and make playtime extra fun.
One of the benefits of reading is that it encourages creativity and imagination. When you read aloud, your child can picture different worlds, different people, and even different scenarios beyond their own experiences. Your child can dream bigger and see things from a different perspective when you open the door through reading.
- Learn Language and Vocabulary
Besides the fun parts of reading, reading prepares children for academic success early on in life. Children understand language more fully through reading, and studies show that students who read a lot before preschool do well in school. Some of the skills children learn through reading are essential for development. They are:
- Reading quickly
- Vocabulary
- Phonics
- Phonemics
- Reading Comprehension
Learning these cognitive skills not only helps them with school but also jumpstarts their communication and social skills. Book language tends to be more descriptive than everyday language, so you’re exposing your child to lots of vocabulary early in their life.
- Improves Concentration and Attention Span
Consistent reading helps improve your child’s concentration abilities. Children don’t often have to sit for very long periods of time, so there aren’t many opportunities to develop a longer attention span.
At first, children may squirm as they lose interest. But eventually, they’ll want to stay and hear the rest of the book. This prepares them for school, where they’ll have to sit and learn for longer periods. Good reading habits also promote better memory retention and stronger self-discipline.
- Bond Between Parent and Child
One of the best ways to show your kids you love them is by spending time with them. Reading provides an opportunity to do something together. Setting a set reading schedule, such as reading to your child every night, sets the expectation that you will be there for them. You have an opportunity to be there for your child when they expect you there.
Even though your small toddler or baby may not understand the words you’re saying, they love to hear familiar voices. This allows you to nurture them and provide much-needed reassurance.
One of the other benefits of reading to your child is that many books open up meaningful conversations. Books with sad moments or learning opportunities allow you to teach your child without them having to experience it for themselves.
- Develop Empathy
Children can experience different emotions through reading. They’ll learn they can associate feelings with words, which allows them to express themselves better. This helps their emotional development, as they’ll learn to experience empathy through characters and events in their books.
Language is one of the most powerful tools you can give your child, and one of the best ways they can learn it is through reading. Give your child all the benefits of reading by helping them develop good reading habits early on, so they’ll reap the benefits for the rest of their lives.