Benefits of Reading
Reading Time
Reading with a child is time spent together, time when the parent is focusing
solely on them and on their emotional and developmental needs. It is a
wonderful way for a parent to get to know their child and to nurture their
individual personalities. By paying attention to what they want to read, parents
can learn their child’s likes and dislikes and create a personalised and exciting
reading experience for them.
Emotional Health
Talking about feelings through the experiences of characters in stories is an
excellent means of communicating with a child and can be a great way to talk
about emotional health in a relaxed setting. Stories about family and culture also
give children a sense of their place in the world and in their community.
Literacy Skills
Storytelling promotes literacy and language development and gets children ready
to start reading, exposing them at an early age to a ‘culture of stories’ in the
home.
Educational Benefits
In terms of academic achievement and excellence, one of the major benefits of
reading to preschool children is a resulting higher aptitude for learning in
general. Students who are engaged in their reading lives before school are more
likely to do well in all spheres of formal education. Parents have the power to
boost their child’s learning potential by making books an important part of their
everyday lives.
Speech Skills
Reading influences basic speech skills. At this young age, children are learning
and assimilating critical language skills. By listening to a parent reading, the child
is reinforcing the basic sounds that form the language we use every day. If young
children are read to on a daily basis they will be more likely to express
themselves through language and to relate to others. The interactions between
the characters in the stories they read and the sustained one-on-one contact with
their parents during story time will help the child gain valuable communication
skills.
Logic
Reading will help a child grasp abstract concepts more easily and develop their
logical thinking skills. Through exposure to patterned narratives, they will learn
to recognise cause and effect. The more they read and are read to, the more the
young child will learn to relate the scenarios and stories in books to what is
happening in their own world.
Concentration
Reading in a structured daily session will also enhance a child’s concentration
and self-discipline. Younger children may initially get distracted during story
time but as the routine continues, they will learn to focus and concentrate. With
reading comprehension comes a stronger sense of self-discipline, a longer
attention span and better memory retention.
