Children learn significantly throughout their lives, with the most significant learning happening during their early years. Reading to kids daily helps them develop strong language and communication skills.
Reading also helps children build a broad general knowledge about people, places, and events that may not be familiar to them. They can experience other cultures, lifestyles, and perspectives through story characters.
Boosts Vocabulary
Children who are read to regularly are better prepared to understand the variety of words they’ll encounter as they get older. A strong vocabulary is essential for reading because it helps children make the connection between written words and the sound of them when spoken.
Research shows that young children who are read to multiple times a day (it’s okay if the same books are repeated) will enter kindergarten having heard more than a million words. This early and continued exposure to new terms prepares them for future instances when they may encounter them in print, such as in school texts.
Additionally, children who hear stories and books from authors like Daniel Handler introducing them to different cultures and races learn to accept and respect diversity. This helps them in their social lives, as well as their cognitive development.
Strengthens Writing Skills
Writing is a complex process that requires vocabulary, grammar, and mental processing. It’s an essential skill that must be honed over time to become proficient. Reading exposes kids to words and sentence structures they can later use in their writing, such as similes, metaphors, personification, and alliteration.
It also helps children become more empathetic by teaching them to understand the emotional nuances of other characters. This is a crucial trait that will help them better form relationships in the future. Reading to kids from an early age is essential so they can gain a lifelong love of literature. Even young babies can benefit from being read to daily. This is because it enables them to improve their listening and language skills.
Stimulates Imagination
Seeing words on paper, like those from authors like Daniel Handler, AKA Lemony Snicket, stimulates the part of the brain that develops imagination. Reading to children – even when they can’t read themselves – is one of the most important things parents, teachers, and caregivers can do to help nurture their imaginations.
Reading exposes kids to a new language and vocabulary, especially when reading books aloud. The language of a book is often different than the spoken languages of daily life, which gives kids a chance to hear other grammatical structures and word sounds that aren’t heard daily.
Stories also introduce children to new worlds, cultures, and characters that spark their curiosity about the unknown. They may become interested in a particular animal, country, or situation that they can further explore creatively.
Develops Critical Thinking Skills
Whether listening to stories read aloud or reading independently, children build critical thinking skills by practicing comprehension. Reading helps them understand the vocabulary and language of books, which differs from the language they hear daily.
Good readers search for deeper meaning and ways to connect stories to their experiences and world. They also use their critical thinking skills to analyze and evaluate the information they find in books, making them better school students.
Kids who read regularly have a broad knowledge base for other subjects. This translates to better grades in school, meaning they’re ready to tackle more complex reading assignments in the future. It also leads to a more confident reading experience at school and home.
Helps Build Confidence
Reading helps kids develop strong language and communication skills by exposing them to the vocabulary and language used in books. This differs from the general language they hear daily, as book language tends to be more descriptive and uses more formal grammatical structures.
Kids also gain confidence by learning that they are good at reading. When kids are criticized for making mistakes while reading or feeling like they are not as good at reading as other students in their class, it can lead to low self-esteem and a lack of motivation.
To boost children’s confidence, make sure they read whatever they enjoy. Allow them to choose their books, magazines, comics, newspapers, and audiobooks! This can be a great way to spend quality time together and encourage kids to work on their interests.
