Education


8 Reasons Why You Should Read to Your Kids

Education | October 24, 2016
three children reading together in preschool
Reading Reasons

September was National Literacy Month, and reading to your children while they are young has a litany of benefits for both you and your little preschooler. Not only does a child’s reading skills help improve their success in school and work, but it can also be a fun and imaginative way to bond with you child. Of course, we know that reading to our children is a good thing, but are you familiar with why it is so beneficial? Below are eight benefits that highlight the importance of reading to your child.

1. Builds Relationships

The more your children grow, the more active they will become, so curling up with a book lets you and your children slow down and spend quality time together. Reading to our daycare infants and pre-K students allows our teachers to bond with our students, too!

2. Excel Academically

Perhaps the primary benefit of reading to your children is an increased capacity for learning. There have been numerous studies that show childcare students who are exposed to reading before preschool and Kindergarten are much more likely to do well in all facets of formal education

3. Improves Speech & Communication Skills

While growing up, your kids learn critical language, enunciation, and phonetic skills. The Gardner School teachers like to read books like Dr. Seuss’s One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, which helps reinforce the basic sounds that form our language. While your child is learning how to physically speak, reading also helps them find the words to express themselves and relate to others in a healthy way.

4. Teaches Basics of Reading

Reading to your children helps them learn how to read. Children aren’t born with the knowledge to read left to right, or that words on a page are separate from the images. Pre-literacy skills like these are among the major benefits of early reading.

5. Helps Master Language

Reading to your kids helps them grasp the fundamentals of language and helps them learn how to put sentences together.

6. Improves Logical Thinking Skills

When reading to your child, you are also improving their ability to grasp abstract concepts, apply logic in various scenarios, understand cause and effect, and utilize good judgement. Try relating the stories you read in your books to your child’s own world!

7. Enhances Concentrations and Discipline

Children tend to be full of energy, so reading a book can help them channel this energy into something productive, like self-discipline and memory retention.

8. Helps Make Reading FUN

Reading to your children early on helps solidify the opinion that reading is an indulgence, not a chore. Kids who are exposed to reading at an early age are much more likely to choose books over video games, TV, and other forms of stagnant entertainment as they grow older.

Books have the power to equip your child with a wide array of knowledge and skills, and as a parent, reading to your child is one of the most important things you can do to prepare them with a foundation for academic excellence and a healthy mind.

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