11 Reasons to Read to Your Child

11 Reasons To Read To Your Child

We all know that learning to read is important, but as parents what do we do to facilitate our children falling in love with reading, especially in a very dynamic, techo environment? Although there are marvelous video games, movies and computer fun for children, there is nothing like teaching our children to use THEIR IMAGINATION while reading a great book.

The best way to teach your child to love reading is simple—Read to your child. Reading to your child has many benefits. You get to read yourself, you get to spend quality one on one time with your child, you get to create a wonderful bedtime routine that helps to sooth your child and get them ready to rest, and one of the best benefits is that you get time to curl up and snuggle together.

• 11 Reasons to Read to Your Child.
  

• 1. When you read to your child, he/she will learn that reading is important to you, therefore reading will become important to him/her. Children value what we value. Most of the time they will emulate YOU. Make sure reading is one of the things they emulate.
  

• 2. Reading helps children to communicate. The more your child hears sounds, the better he/she will process these sounds into words. When a child is preschool/kindergarten age the listening word starts to become the written word.
  

• 3. You reading to your child helps them develop their ability to listen and pay attention. Listening is a skill and it will serve them throughout their lives in every area of their lives.
  
• 4. As I mentioned above, reading has a calming effect on a restless, super active children at any age. If you teach a child to calm their minds before they go to sleep when they are children, they are much better equipped to deal with the stressors of being an adult.
  

• 5. Reading is a wonderful before bed routine. Studies have shown that a child will thrive in an atmosphere in which routines are present. All children love structure. They love knowing what to expect and counting on it. They love routines, traditions and developing good habits. Well maybe it is not them that love the last one, but parents sure love for their children to develop great habits.
  

• 6. Reading enhances your child’s ability to dream big dreams and to imagine great things. Have you ever gotten lost in the adventure of a good book? Your child can do the same while you are reading to him/her.
  

• 7. Reading to a young child will teach him/her to respect books. It teaches them how to hold a book, how to turn pages, not to tear a book up because it is special.
  

• 8. Reading to your child creates a reader’s heart within them. You cannot read great books without getting hooked. Reading allows you to take a vacation without every leaving your room, or go back or forward in time, or meet wonderful fantasy characters that become friends.
  

• 9. Your children, and their teachers, will thank you. Reading to your child helps you give a learning advantage to your child. In this very competitive world, every learning advantage we can give our children has great value.
  

• 10. Reading to your child gives you a wonderful break from the burdens and stresses of your life. As you read with your child, you too get to go on an adventure with them and leave your cares and burdens behind for a moment or two.
  
• 11. All great people have one thing in common. They all have libraries. If you want your child to be great, help them have all the tools they need to SUCCEED. If you want your children to SUCCEED—READ!