As parents, we hear it all the time: You must read to your children.
You hear things like, you need to read bedtime stories. Have you tried this children’s book? Or, if you are experiencing a challenging phase with your child, maybe this book will help. Are you feeling overwhelmed yet?
I know I have been overwhelmed by it, and I’m passionate about reading and writing!
Let’s break it down as to why reading is essential for our children and how to make it an enjoyable experience for the whole family.
Why is reading important in early childhood?
Reading is incredibly important for children in their early years. Not only does it help to foster a love of learning and imagination, but it also promotes the use of language and literacy skills.
Research has shown that children who are read to perform better in school regularly and are more likely to succeed in their future careers.
Additionally, reading children’s books together can be a bonding experience between parents, guardians, and their children. It gives us the time to help strengthen relationships and build long-term trust.
Overall, reading is an essential part of our children’s development and can have a lasting impact on their future.
What are 5 benefits of reading to children?
Reading to children has numerous benefits that can positively impact their development. Here are five of them:
- Reading to our children promotes language acquisition and literacy abilities, which are essential for success in school and future careers.
- Reading can create a love of learning and imagination, encouraging children to explore new ideas and perspectives.
- Storytelling to our children helps to improve cognitive abilities, such as memory and critical thinking.
- Children’s Stories can be a bonding experience between parents and their children, strengthening relationships and building trust.
- Reading children’s books can create a lifelong habit of reading, which can provide a source of entertainment, relaxation, and personal growth throughout our children’s lives.
What are 3 benefits of early literacy?
Early literacy has several benefits for children. Literacy includes reading and writing, which can enhance their cognitive development, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills. It helps promote social-emotional learning, aiding children to build empathy, self-awareness, and social skills.
Early literacy can set children up for academic success by providing them with a strong foundation in reading, writing, and language skills, showing how crucial reading is in children’s development. Reading can encourage their future success when the child finds a positive and happy experience with reading.
Should I be reading to my young children?
Reading to young children is always beneficial.
Reading even from birth helps our children to learn general information about the world, which aids them to learn about new subjects and get them ready for school. Reading children’s books exposes our children to new words and ways of using language. It also helps them feel and express new feelings, thoughts, and emotions in the safety of a book to prepare them for the world around them.
Reading to our children helps them to build empathy and learn how to handle challenging emotions. Parents can regularly use reading time to talk about their child’s feelings and how to cope with them. For example, in Colour Monster by Anna Leenas, each main emotion is addressed, clearly defined, and associated with its perfectly chosen colour. Colour Monster uses yellow for happiness, blue for sadness, red for anger, black for fear and green for calm, and it was particularly helpful for my son during his terrible two phase!
Even a few minutes of reading with your child allows you to slow down and connect with each other. The sensory experience of sitting with your child and hearing your voice also engages your child’s brain, making learning easier.
You can read to your child any way you wish. You can read in any language or multiple languages.
You can read at the same time every day or change up the routine to suit your family. Your child doesn’t even have to be sitting with you. Sitting nearby reading a book while they play is a great way to connect.
It is important for your child to hear words and language and have books be part of their daily life. Any steps you’re able to take can make a big difference.
How to enjoy reading together as a family
Reading together as a family can be a fun and enjoyable experience that strengthens the bond between family members and also promotes literacy and learning.
Here are some of my tips I use with my children on how to make reading together a lovely experience:
- Choose books that everyone will enjoy. Find books that are age-appropriate and interesting for all family members. Let everyone have a say in what book to read next and take turns choosing.
- Create a cosy and comfortable environment. Set up a reading nook with pillows, blankets, and comfortable seating. Dim the lights, reading dens or light fairy lights to create a relaxing atmosphere. Make it special.
- Kids love to be interactive and encourage all family members to participate in the reading, even the family pets, by asking questions, predicting what might happen next, or discussing the characters and their actions.
- Incorporate snacks or treats. Make reading time extra special by including some of your family’s favourite snacks or drinks. This can help create a positive association with reading and make it more enjoyable.
- Schedule regular reading time. Make reading together a part of your daily or weekly routine. This will help establish the habit of reading and make it a priority in your family’s schedule.
The most important thing is to have fun and enjoy the time spent together as a family. The book doesn’t have to be perfectly read but enjoyed.
Children’s Books
See my very own children’s book, A Fox, A Rabbit, And A Squirrel Too, available at Amazon, Waterstones, Foyles, Browns Books, my publisher Olypima, and many other renowned book shops!
It is a story that teaches the values of friendship, even under challenging circumstances, and the importance of good quality relationships and thinking outside the box. It’s the favourite of many and can be purchased here.
