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Reading is a huge part of childhood! Kids love imagining fictional stories, hearing true stories from the past, and coming up with their own stories to share. But the fun part of reading is only the start!
Beyond the entertainment value, there are so many important benefits to reading to your kids. That’s why I’m a devoted Biblio fan and love finding new books. Here are some of the main reasons you should start reading to your kids today!
Helps them learn how to think
Kids can learn a lot from the characters in a book. They listen to them problem solve, make decisions, use critical thinking skills, and so on. It’s a gentle way to expose them to these more complex thought processes that will be so useful as they grow up!
Grows their imagination
Reading books helps expand a child’s imagination in a way that TV shows simply can’t match. The work of not only hearing a creative story, but having to come up with the pictures in your head yourself, gives kids a valuable boost in creative thinking. They will often use the stories to inspire their own pretend world!
Increases vocabulary
I can’t even tell you how many words my 6-year-old knows that seem beyond her age already. Where did she learn them? Reading! After all, there are no rules saying certain words are more advanced than others, right?
Concepts need to be age appropriate, of course, but who says your kindergartener can’t refer to dinner as “superb” instead of “yummy”? Exposure through reading is a great way to naturally expand their vocabulary without it even seeming like a big deal.
Prepares them for reading themselves
Being read to gets children familiar with important concepts needed to eventually read on their own: knowing the alphabet, phonics, comprehension, and so on. Reading to children is the number one way to prepare them for reading themselves!
Helps them concentrate
Listening to a story takes some concentration, otherwise you have no clue what’s going on in the story! The ability to focus is a skill that needs to be given ample practice time for kids, it does not come naturally.
Young kids are not developed enough to sit through lectures and worksheets, but they can sit through an interesting picture book. As they get older, this practice of listening to stories will be extremely helpful when they get started with school!
Encourages social and emotional development
Kids can experience truly challenging life experiences from the safety of a book. If there is something in particular your child is struggling with, or that you anticipate they will be dealing with, reading is a wonderful way to help them through it.
For example, bullying is a huge issue our kids are facing these days. It would be beneficial for kids on both sides to read books related to the issue. A child being bullied may find some helpful strategies for encountering a bully, and someone who has bullied may have their eyes opened to the hurt they are causing.
Helps them through life lessons
Kids experience a huge array of struggles, changes, and life lessons in their childhood. Sometimes a big change can seem scary and it’s hard to see the lessons that can be learned from it. Books can give kids a way to feel seen and like someone understands what they are going through, or give them the courage to do something!
For example, when my daughter was younger she was overly friendly towards strangers. We had a Berenstain Bear book that perfectly addressed the balance between not assuming everyone is bad, but still being cautious just in case. It made perfect sense to her and she does not talk to strangers like she used to!
A useful tool for education
We are a homeschooling family, and one of the major ways my daughter learns is by reading interesting stories about the topics we cover. This is a great way to internalize history instead of just listing bullet point facts! I can’t believe the amount of information my daughter can retain from a story.
This is why I love having a literature-led education. We go between some popular ones such as BookShark, AmblesideOnline and Sonlight. They all provide rich texts to give kids the context needed to connect with history, and naturally develop their language arts skills.
(Psst! Use my referral link for Sonlight to get $10 off your first order!)
Encourages a love of reading
Reading to your kids naturally encourages their own love of reading! The imaginative stories of bravery, adventure, royalty, and more will capture their hearts. The best way to raise bookworms is to read to them a lot!
Provide increased bonding
Was this ever in question? Of course reading to your kids is a perfect way to bond with your kids! Snuggling up together and reading a good book is a favorite pastime for children and parents alike. And the best part is, there are so many books that you are sure to find many that you and your kids will love.
If you’re looking to stock up your home library, see if the books you want are on Biblio. That’s where I get all of ours! They have access to gently used books for much less than buying new.
As you can see, there are so many reasons why reading to your kids is important. It will help them grow emotionally, educational, and closer to you. And there’s no age too young for being read to- start reading to your kids today!
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