We have all heard about the importance of reading to our children. But why is it so beneficial for us to read to our kids?

Exploring New Worlds

Research has shown that reading to young children on a regular basis helps their overall growth and development. Reading to kids improves speech and language development and even encourages future reading success.

In addition, it provides special quality time between a parent and child where strong connections are built.

Books can also help us teach our kids important values and help them understand challenging events in real life. When we read with our kids, we can use the time to ask more questions about the story and help them understand new ideas or concepts.

Reading is also a great way for our kids to escape to a different world – to use their imaginations and learn new things. It also helps them wind down and relax.

Instilling a Love of Reading

How can we instill a love of reading in our kids? According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the best thing parents can do to encourage children to love books is to read aloud to them. Even after kids can read on their own, it’s still important to read with them each day – even if just for a few minutes.

Bedtime is often the easiest time to fit in reading with your kids. It also offers a nice routine for your children at the end of the day.

Remember that reading should be fun. If your child loses interest before the book is over, then stop reading and choose something else to read. Let your kids choose the books and topics they enjoy and are interested in. Sometimes this means you will be reading the same book over and over again.

Don’t limit yourself to one type of book. Try new materials – fiction, biographies, fairy tales, kids magazines, comic books or even cookbooks! If you keep lots of different books around, your kids are more likely to pick them up and check them out.

Finding Books

The easiest way to access a variety of books is through your local library. If you don’t have a library card, get one! Visit the library together and let your child choose the books that interest them. Many libraries also have reading programs for kids with games and prizes to further encourage their love of reading.

One last thing that we can do as parents is to model good reading behavior ourselves. If our kids see us reading, they are more likely to do the same. We can also encourage more reading by limiting tablet and phone use. When waiting at the doctor or riding in the car, bring books and other reading material along to pass the time – instead of screens.

We can’t make our children love to read, but we can do our best to encourage and support it. The benefits will last a lifetime!

Sources:
healthychildren.org
The StayWell Company, LLC