Sitting down with your child and reading their favorite book along with them is one of those sentimental childhood moments you’ll both treasure forever and Why Reading Aloud to Your Child is So Beneficial.
Whether you like to read in the morning to prepare them for the school day, or sit on the edge of their bed and read as they get ready for sleep, reading with your child is such a beneficial routine that has so many advantages!
As well as being a fun activity you can both enjoy together, reading aloud with children is fantastic for helping their development and preparing them for their later life.
Table of Contents
Develops Literacy and Language Skills
For children younger than 5 who are just starting to get familiar with words, reading aloud with them helps them learn language quickly and become more comfortable with forming sentences.
For slightly older children, reading aloud can give them the confidence they need when reading and help advance their skills!
The more they read, the more they will be able to understand language and feel more comfortable with higher literacy levels at a younger age.
Helps Them Concentrate On Their Reading and Learn Discipline
In the age of tablets and smartphones, it can sometimes be difficult for children to concentrate on their book and really take in the words on the page.
Sitting with a parent or loved one can help keep their focus on the book, so they can get the most out of the learning benefits reading offers them!
The key is to make the activity as fun and enjoyable as possible so reading never feels like a chore for either of you!
You can do this by letting them choose a book suitable for their reading age and by reading along as enthusiastically as possible!
Another brilliant way to keep children engaged in reading and make the most of the benefits of reading is to ask them questions alongside reading the words.
Asking questions helps children learn to think critically from a young age and help them absorb the story.
For example, if you ask your little one why a certain character is sad, they are prompted to think back on the events of the story and remember what has happened for the character to feel this emotion.
Even more, by making reading part of a routine where you sit down together, children are able to learn discipline and not be distracted by other things around them.
They’ll also become familiar with their reading routine and will learn to discipline themselves during this time of the day!
Enhances Their Imagination
There’s nothing like embracing an entirely new storybook world when reading along with your child!
Depending on the book you choose, you can transport yourselves to a magical new land and become familiar with different surroundings.
Your little one will be able to imagine themselves in this new environment, helping them learn to adapt to new settings!
This is great for enhancing creative thinking, which is a necessary skill for helping them get through their school years.
Improves Their Performance In The Classroom
It’s been discovered that children who are read to by their parents for just 20 minutes a day succeed more in school, since they begin developing necessary skills at a younger age and put themselves ahead of their peers.
Reading aloud with them also helps build their confidence and interest in reading, helping them thrive in the classroom!
20 minutes is the perfect amount of time to fit into your usual routine, whether it’s after breakfast or before bed.
It’s proven that reading just for this small amount of time can impact the likelihood of your child graduating high school!
As Pam Allyn, the Senior Vice President for Scholastic says:
“Read-aloud is a prescription for lifelong success for the child and a dose of deep well-being for the family.”
Here are some awesome inspiration resources for reading; How to Keep You Child Reading over Summer Break, 4 Tips to get Your Family Reading Together and Expert Tips on How to Make Reading Fun.
