Reading together is an activity that can have a host of benefits for your child. The American Academy of Pediatrics says reading aloud to children daily from infancy stimulates early brain development and helps build key language, literacy and social skills.
Reading, according to Dr. Pamela High, who was interviewed by PBS NewsHour, can be used to assess how well your child is developing. “A 6-month-old is likely to hold onto a book, by a year they can point to some of the pictures in their favorite book. As they get older, they may even be able to point out some letters or tell you the story that’s in the book.”
Dr. High continues that the experience of reading to children is seated in the relationship between the parent and the child. Reading to a child motivates children to work harder to learn how to read themselves.
Reading with children increases time spent together. In fact, if families read together for 20 minutes a day, 7 days a week, they get more than 121 hours of family time every year! And in that year? Kids are exposed to about 1.8 million words! By building their vocabulary, you are helping increase language and literacy skills that will help prepare them for school.
And, of course, reading is fun! It encourages creative thinking, conversation, building listening skills and imagination!
Happy Reading!