There are many benefits of reading to young children daily; that’s why parents should be encouraged to read to their children from infancy. You can start with bedtime stories and gradually move up to more complex subjects as they grow.
A healthy variety of toys (like activity tables, play kitchens and box sets) are always advisable to help keep your kids entertained and engaged for longer.
But reading is by far the best tool you have to stimulate brain development and help your little ones reach their cognitive milestones faster.
Below are 7 benefits of reading to young children every day:
- Brain Development
According to research, reading to young children helps in the expansion of their brains. When you read to your children regularly, you help stimulate the optimal patterns involved in brain development.
In turn, this helps build firm pathways in their brains that control semantic processing.
- Improves Language and Vocabulary
Another advantage of reading to young children is improving their language and vocabulary. Once the optimal patterns in the brain become stimulated, there is exposure to various language and vocabulary opportunities. This increases cognitive ability over time.
According to research conducted on kids between the age of 6 months to 4 and a half years, reading to kids from birth to toddler age increased their vocabulary and literary skills.
The research focused on the degree of shared book-reading, like the amount and frequency of books read, and if parents started up conversations during book time.
For both, the researchers noted that children were better in their literary and vocabulary skills after they reached their fourth birthday
- To Become Knowledgeable
If you are looking to raise a child who is smart and well informed in many aspects of life, start by reading books to them from a young age. As the common saying goes “Knowledge is Power!”
Reading to young children allows them to question the learning process and other topics. It also gets them interested in various ideas, which leads to a desire to learn more as they grow up.
- Developing Empathy
Every parent wants to have a child who understands other people’s emotions and circumstances.
Reading to young kids is one of the best ways to help them develop a sense of compassion and empathy.
Once they can identify with characters and imagine themselves in their positions, they will easily understand and relate to more complicated emotions. It will help them in the future; when they are out there in society and meet new people from all sorts of backgrounds.
- Enhances Concentration
Contrary to popular opinion, children learn to concentrate more when you consistent read to them. On their own, kids may tend to flip pages and swap books. However, if you can keep a consistent reading schedule, your child will learn to stick to the schedule.
With time, they will learn to sit still through any reading for longer and concentrate more easily.
This is essential because when you finally take your child to pre-school, you will have installed the important discipline of sitting still and paying attention.
- Develops Imagination and Creativity
Reading allows people to live different lives through different characters and personalities. It includes imagining how these characters and the locations look and feel as the book describes them.
When you read, you try to convert the setting of the book into reality through your imaginations. Everyone has a different idea of what something looks like in their head, which leads to an increased creativity on environments, people and locations.
This applies to children too and will benefit your child as they begin to see life through different lenses. Moreover, it will develop their imagination and creativity.
- Spending Time Together
One of the best ways to create a permanent connection and relationship with your child is to spend meaningful time with them. There are many ways to do it, and reading is one of those ways.
Even if you are not free when they get back from school, you can spare a few minutes from a busy schedule to read them a story at bedtime.
Through this, your child can also learn to interact with you by asking you questions regarding the stories you read. Reading to young children will also give you both an opportunity to unwind and relax after a long day.
About the Author:
Mo Mulla is a work from home dad who enjoys reading and
listening to music. He loves being a dad and husband to a
growing family. He loves writing about his passions and hopes
to change the world, 1 blog post at a time! You can find his
parenting blog here: www.ParentalQuestions.com
