The Benefits Of Reading To Children

Boosts Confidence

Reading to children provides them with a wealth of language and literacy skills, which set them up for school success. These include phonemic awareness (the ability to hear and play with individual sounds in spoken words), phonics, vocabulary and comprehension. Kids who are read to early in life also tend to have longer attention spans and this carries over into other activities, like learning.

Concentration Skills

Reading aloud to children allows them to hear words and concepts they would not be able to grasp on their own. For example, they can learn about science topics such as gravity or the sun through a book and then discuss it with their parent.

Reading to children also increases their overall concentration span. They can sit and listen longer than they could on their own, which helps them perform better at school and during activities outside of reading time.

Increases Vocabulary

In addition to boosting children’s vocabulary, reading aloud helps develop key language and literacy skills like phonemic awareness, phonics and comprehension. This lays the groundwork for learning to read once they begin school, making it easier for them to learn new words and concepts later on.

Reading to kids also exposes them to vocabulary they might not hear in everyday conversation, such as the names of unfamiliar animals or places. Plus, parents often add extra elements to the story by talking about it afterward, a process called “extra-textual talk.” This reinforces the new words kids are hearing and may introduce even more.

Builds Relationships

Reading stories to kids creates a special bond between them. Whether you read funny stories together, snuggle up to whisper bedtime books or share historical texts on important topics, your child will develop a positive relationship with you through these experiences.

Reading aloud to children allows them to build a wide base of general knowledge on countless subjects, such as animals, geography or transportation. This knowledge will help them make sense of their own lives and the world around them.