Reading to Kids

Why Read Aloud to Children

From the desk of the Early Childhood Education department:

We all know that reading aloud to young children is important but why is it important?  What do children gain from reading a book with their parent/ caregiver? Oh so much!

1)     Quality Time – Snuggling up with a good book is a great way to slow down and reconnect outside of normal day to day tasks. Reading to your child is a nurturing and loving experience that they will remember for years to come.

2)     Early Speech Skills –  Reading books involves enunciating words, saying sentences, and making new sounds. Research has shown that the number of words heard in infancy can increase a child’s vocabulary at age 3. The natural progression of being read to includes learning to “pretend read“ books that he/she has memorized. This is fun for the child and always a joy to watch.

3)     Literacy – Your child will learn how to use a book, that words are read left to right, and that words are separate from illustrations and pictures. Take this time to talk about the parts of the book and the difference between an author and illustrator.

4)     Early Learning Skills – Your child will pick up the essential skills of concentration, discipline, logical thinking, memory, and problem solving that are all needed to increase the chances of success in school.

5)     Love and Comfort of Reading – Your child may discover that reading is fun and that they like some books more than others. Additionally, reading aloud has been shown to help children cope during times of stress or tragedy.

So make it a point to read aloud to your child or a child in your care every day. You have so much to share and they have so much to learn.

“Children are made readers on the laps of their parents.” ~ Emilie Buchwald

If you are interested in learning more about the importance of early childhood development and considering making it your career, contact us at Community Care College to hear more about our Early Childhood Education program.