Read to Your Children

It seems like a common sensical approach to raising children but for many parents, reading to children is not a priority. Screens dominate every facet of our lives and it has extended to our children’s primary habits. Today, children are using screens all the time for audio-visual content and while this isn’t a problem on its own, ignoring the other activities that children need in their development is a major issue. If you don’t already read regularly to your child, we have some good reasons for you to do so.

Vocabulary and Language Skill Increases

Children need to learn about language from a primary source and there is no better source than their parents. When you read to your child, they are much more likely to pay attention and when children are engaged and listening, they are going to improve their language skills. Any kind of language exposure will benefit a child’s language development but when you, as a parent, control the content, this makes the entire exercise much more effective. Encourage your children to ask about words they don’t understand or have never heard of and spend time discussing the word. Just like that, your child’s vocabulary also greatly increases.

They Become Better Readers

One of the best reasons to turn reading to your child into a habit is to turn them into regular readers themselves. Reading as a habit is something that is best developed very young as it is a habit that can last a lifetime. If you make this a habit with your child, it will seem like something you child will want to pursue. With a healthy habit for reading and a love of books, your child will have a real advantage in life.

Quality Time with You

Parents often ask about what 1-on-1 activities they can pursue with their children and reading should definitely top this list. Quality time as a productive daily habit, is the ideal activity for both you and your child, so reading time is the best option in this case. You can take this time to learn more about what your child is doing on a daily basis or generally understand what they need to do more often. Spending time with you, hearing about stories and learning about new things develops a different set of coping skills for them.

They Learn About the World from You

Here’s where you can make the entire experience extremely fun. Read stories to your child but feel free to go on tangents where you believe it will add to your child’s knowledge. You can explain so much about the world and how it works, and the best part is you decide what the context is. Engaging discussions with you and what you think about the world is a great way for you child to connect with you.

Make it a Fun Family Activity

Reading can be fun and you can make it that way. Turn it into a real fertile place for the imagination by roleplaying characters, adding sound effects, drawing and colouring some of the characters. For many children, story-telling and reading are wonderful escapist activities that can really boost their ability to envision things. You can turn reading into a family activity by getting together and reading the book like a radio script and enjoying each other’s company.

Reading to your child at an early age is always an excellent beginning to their language development and creativity but parents stop reading to their children too early. This happens far too often when children reach the age of 5 or 6 and we feel that they should start reading on their own. Keep reading to your child until much deeper into their growth and see that they enjoy books and reading in a healthy and enjoyable way.