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Reading Is Vital To Your Child’s Learning

Reading to your children can make a vital difference in their lives. Not only will you and your child bond and make memories over their favorite books, but you are also guiding them into a love of reading they will carry with them through adulthood. Reading is not only a source of entertainment; it is a way to expand the horizons of young minds.

Below are ten reasons to make a little time each day to read to your children.

1. Language Skills
Language skills will vitally improve when you read aloud to your child. Listening, speaking, reading and writing are the four language skills, and if your child is read to every day, he or she will be well equipped to handle the challenges of school.

2. Vocabulary Skills
Vocabulary skills will also improve through hearing words and phrases that are not used in their everyday life. If your child has not yet started to read, pointing to the words while reading will give them a head start. Guide your children through the books and discuss the illustrations before reading
the text.

3. Empathy
Empathy can develop through reading. Children identify with characters, and can effortlessly feel the emotions the character is going through. Reading every day will help children identify with their own emotions and feelings as well as an ability to understand how other people think and feel.

4. Imagination
A child’s imagination can soar through reading. Being transported to other places, times, and spending time with remarkable characters can spark new ideas and creative thinking in your child. While I believe it is vital to let your children’s imagination skyrocket, it is also essential for them to understand the difference between fantasy and reality.

5. Bonding
Connect with your children through reading. A regular bedtime reading ritual will help you both relax from your busy day and enjoy a little cuddle time. Reading will also guide you and your child to increased communication.

6. Longer Attention Spans
Most young children have a relatively low attention span and living in a world of constant screen time doesn’t help. However, reading does assist in developing longer attention spans in younger children.  This will be of great benefit to them as they enter school.

7. Academic Performance
Children who read, or have been read to regularly, perform better in school. They have learned how sentences and phrases are supposed to sound, which gives them a head start in language structure. This aids your child in all subjects, not just language arts and English classes.

8. Concentration
Children who have been read to and who like to read can concentrate for more extended periods. This is a vital skill that will be needed throughout their academic career.

9. Eagerness to Learn
Reading teaches children about the world and assists them in finding topics they are interested in learning about. These topics of interest may lead to wanting to know more, therefore opening the door to more knowledge. Guide your children to different subjects, fiction, and non-fiction. A quick trip to the library may spark a new interest.

10. Cognitive Skills
Reading to your child teaches early thinking skills such as problem-solving, decision making, and remembering. Your child will have an easier time processing information with regular reading. It also has a positive effect on the growing brain, helps advance literacy skills, and is vital to attaining better comprehension skills.

Through your guidance, your children will benefit from reading, not only in the ways mentioned above but throughout their entire lifetime. Set your children up for success while enjoying the time you have with them as they grow. Reading is not only a good source of entertainment; it is an excellent way for a family to connect and build stronger relationships.

Article by Kristine Protopsaltis
Independent Writer