Why You Should Read Storybooks to Your Child

Whether you are a full-time working parent or a stay-at-home Mom/Dad, I believe you have a desire to forge a close bond with your child. One of the ways you can build this bond during their childhood years involves a bit of your time, effort and energy. It is manageable and achievable, so do take some time out of your busy schedule to commit to this activity: Reading storybooks to your child.

Children learn to love the sound of language before they even notice the existence of printed words on a page. Reading aloud to your child stimulates their imagination and expands their understanding of the world. Throughout toddlerhood and preschool, your child is learning critical language and enunciation skills.

Reading out loud to your kids is so much more than simply teaching them to read. Parents have shared that by spending time reading to their children, they’re much more likely to express themselves and relate to others in a healthy way. Children gain valuable communication skills by having contact with you and witnessing the interactions between the characters in the books they read.

In my Phonics classes, my K1 students are given a storybook (chosen by me according to their individual reading level) to bring home to read every week. I tell all their parents to ensure they spend time reading aloud with them, even if it’s just for 15 minutes a day. Early reading for young children has been linked to a better grasp of the fundamentals of language as they approach school age and builds up their ability to grasp abstract concepts, as well as apply logic in various scenarios. Put simply, it preps them for life ahead.

As some of you know, or are even going through a period where your child favours one or a couple of books and wants it read day after day, night after night. This is natural and while it can be boring for you as a parent, maintain your patience and keep in mind that a favourite story may be indicative of your child’s interest or emotional needs. Continue to expose your child to a variety of different books and they will move on and be ready for more stories eventually.

The benefits of reading aloud with your child are endless: builds a stronger relationship and closer bond by spending time together, expands vocabulary knowledge, stimulates their imagination, helps comprehension, acts as a conversation starter, let’s you open up new worlds for your kids, and much more. With your help, as your children begin a lifelong relationship with the printed word, they can grow into adults who read easily and frequently whether for business, knowledge, or pleasure.

So, what are you waiting for? Start reading to your kids today! 🙂

Next: All about reading and rhyming!

To read more of Ms Liz’s awesome tips for your child, check out our list of Educational Materials!