Why You Should Read To Your Child Every Day: The Benefits of Reading Aloud for Child Development

 

I’ve been trying to pass my book-loving passion onto my daughter ever since she was born. Everyday I try to read at least one book aloud to her, but we usually end up reading a couple. She’s only 1-year-old right now, however I plan to continue this tradition until she learns to read on her own.

 

Aside from reading to my daughter every day because I personally love books myself, I also read to her daily because of all the amazing benefits books have for a child’s development! A few of which I’m going to dive into in this blog post. 

 

Reading to a child every day will significantly help with different aspects of their development and growth. 

 

The first benefit is that daily reading to a child helps with their language learning and vocabulary development. 

 

 

Children who are read 1 book a day will be exposed to an average of 290,000 more words by the age of 5 than children who aren’t. Shared bookreading with a parent can help a child learn the meaning of words and also how to put those words together to form sentences. These benefits were confirmed in a recent study that concluded the sooner you start reading to a child, the better it is for them. The study revealed that reading to your baby daily, starting within the first 6 months of their life, will help their language development advance further than those babies that weren’t read to in their early months. 

 

Another benefit of reading books to your child daily is that it helps them develop critical thinking skills from an early age. 

 

 

Developing critical thinking skills is essential for children to fully comprehend and understand the meaning of words on the pages in front of them. Reading a story and having discussions about it can lead a child to a whole new world of ideas and encourage them to think beyond the surface-level story. Parents can facilitate these discussions by asking questions while reading aloud to their children. These questions can help your child analyze events, themes, and characters in the book they are reading. 

 

Thirdly, reading books to children daily can foster empathy and guide them towards being emotionally intelligent. 

 

 

To have empathy means being able to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and understand what they are feeling and where they’re coming from. Learning to be empathetic is an important step towards emotional intelligence, which is essential for when a child grows up. Emotional intelligence is defined as the ability to understand how others feel (empathy) and use this skill to make good judgements and avoid problems in life. 

 

Reading is a powerful tool for teaching empathy because it allows children to see a whole new perspective of the world through the eyes of different characters. For instance, if you read your child a superhero book, they can imagine themselves in the role of the superhero and consider what they would do if they were that character in challenging situations. This kind of thinking can be applied later in life when they need to empathize with their peers and communicate effectively. Being able to hold different perspectives is also important for children so that they can learn and appreciate what other cultures, languages, beliefs, and lifestyles are like apart from their own. 

 

The fourth and final benefit worth mentioning is that reading to your child daily can help strengthen the bond between the two of you. 

 

 

The act of reading to your child is a valuable opportunity to strengthen your connection with them. Studies show that reading to your baby in the first few months of their life, when they are still a newborn, can strengthen the bond between you two. The shared experience of reading together, with the child snuggling up into your lap, nurtures a sense of closeness and encourages them to learn. Children who have parents that read to them are more likely to form a secure attachment to their parents -rather than an anxious attachment. A positive parent-child relationship can be developed from an early age through sharing stories, and help children find a love for reading in the process. 

 

“Reading to your baby and toddler provides a headstart when that child begins school and is faced with acquiring pre-reading skills. The time spent listening to books helps children become successful at rhyming, understanding that words are made up of sounds, and that print on the page has meaning. More importantly, children are more motivated to learn to read because they want to unlock the mystery of books.” – Ellen Sabie, Retired Special Education Teacher

 

I know that reading to your child daily can be easier said than done. Sometimes children constantly want to turn the pages or crawl out of your lap, and it can seem like they have no interest in it at all. Here are some tips I have for you the might help make daily reading a bit easier:

 

Read age-appropriate books 

 

For young babies, you’ll probably want to pick books to read that have a few words and lots of illustrations and pictures. As a baby gets older, you can start reading books with more words and more complex sentences. Age-appropriate books are important to help your child not get bored of reading. For example, you wouldn’t read a chapter book to a 1-year-old, but you could read one to a 10-year-old. 

 

Visit your local library 

 

Many times your local library will hold storytimes for young children. These storytimes include librarians reading aloud fun and engaging stories to your little ones. It’s a great way to get your little one out of the house and into a new environment that they could also find enjoyable! 

 

Keep reading times short and sweet 

 

By keeping reading times short and sweet, you are able to also break up reading sessions in the day. Maybe 5-10 minutes in the morning, and 10-15 minutes before bed. Whatever works for you and your kiddos and is most manageable! 

 

Let your child choose what books to read

 

By letting your child pick out what they want to read, they can feel more involved in the book reading process. This can make reading time exciting because they know they’ll get to be in charge of picking out what you read to them. 

 

Ask questions 

 

Starting a discussion by asking questions about the book you are reading to them can make it more thought-provoking and interesting. Asking questions will also have your child thinking deeper about the plot and characters, especially if you ask them to share their thoughts about the story.

 

Be fun and interactive

 

Reading time can be fun! Make noises, imitate what you think characters would sound like in real life, point to pictures, incorporate reading into playtime activities -there are so many different ways to make reading feel like an adventure. 

 

In conclusion, reading to your child on a daily basis from a very early age has a significant impact on their overall development and growth! In this post we covered 4 of these benefits: early language and vocabulary building, advanced critical thinking skills, the development of empathy and emotional intelligence, and the creation of a strong bond between you and your child. 

 

By taking the time to read with your child, you can provide them with a wealth of opportunities to learn, grow, and explore the world around them. The simple act of sharing a book can have a profound impact on your child’s life, as they progress through childhood and beyond. 

 

Make reading a priority in your family’s daily routine and watch as your child blossoms into an empathetic and intelligent individual! What are some of your favorite books to read together as a family? I’d love to hear from you!