The Benefits of Reading to Children

Every parent has been taught that reading to a child at a young age sets a foundation for the rest of their child’s life. But what specifically are the benefits? Obviously reading to children starting at a young age encourages them to become excellent readers themselves. It also cultivates a life-long love of reading. Story time brings the family closer together as well, nurturing the bond between parent and child. At the same time, it stimulates a child’s mind, and encourages thought and imagination in a way nothing else can. All of this can be especially beneficial to the growth and development of children between the ages of three and seven.

Children want to emulate everything they see a parent do. Of course reading to children at a young age has the benefit of encouraging them to want to read as well. What parent has not seen their child pick up a book and pretend to read even before they knew how? This is a wonderful thing. And the more a child wants to read, the sooner they will learn, and the better they will be at it.

Reading to children does more than just encourage them to be excellent readers though. When a child is exposed to the wonders of reading at an early age, they will develop a love for it, and will want to read more. This will lead to a lifetime of growth and learning, all because they were introduced to reading at a young age.

So what is the biggest part of being a kid? Of course it is their imagination. Reading to a child can have unlimited benefits here. All through life a child will have a beautiful mind, hungry for knowledge, and filled with wonderment. Reading a book to a child really is a gift that keeps on giving.

Between the ages of three and seven, all of this becomes even more vital. At this age a child’s mind is a figurative sponge, as they absorb everything they see and hear.

Although having a parent read to their child is the best option, most parents are busy. Bridging the gap between the amount of time one wants to spend reading to their child, and what reality allows, is often difficult. Audio books are a wonderful way to immerse children in the joys of reading. Whether on CD or downloaded as an MP3, the benefits of story telling are still there. Audio books can allow your child to get even more exposure to fantastic children’s books.

While as adults we know that the purpose of reading is ultimately to ensure a child wants to read themselves and becomes good at it, a child does not always see things the same way. If something is not fun, they generally won’t do it. Audio books are a wonderful way for parents to keep a child immersed in the joys of reading. An audio book keeps reading fun for their child while encouraging them to want to read, and isn’t that what reading to kids is all about?