THE POWER OF READING TO A CHILD

You will see evidence wherever you look that shows all the reasons reading to your child will benefit them. Reasons such as:

It will expand your child’s vocabulary, empathy, and problem-solving skills.

* It will promote bonding with your child.

* It offers them an understanding of the world around them.

* Illustrates diversity, and introduces and/or enhances the lessons of value and morals in a fun easy-to-absorb way.

* It will boost your child’s memory- especially story recollection and details.

* While your child is sitting there listening to you, they aren’t just imagining the world of what you are reading, it is expanding their concentration as well.

* It will expand conversation skills. – Ask your child questions as you read, even indirectly. Oh, look at that bear eating chocolate ice cream! What’s your favorite flavor? Do you like 1 scoop or two? I like 10. Let’s count to 10! You can incorporate learning moments and your child won’t even realize it.

* Finally, it fosters a love of independent reading. Your child will most likely do as you do more than what you say. They want to be like you.

Reading various books gives your child experiences they may not otherwise be able to see. Can you travel across the country at a moment’s notice? If you’re like me, probably not, but you can read about another country, their animals, their culture! Does your child like space? You can read about the planets and about what happened to Pluto. (This is still a sore subject for me). I love Pluto. Anyway, I digress.

You have heard of the little boy who loved reading about dinosaurs so much he became a paleontologist? Ok yes, that might be from Friends, but the truth of the matter is, reading does shape your child’s future. Your child will enter kindergarten having been exposed to over 290,000 more words than children who don’t get read to.

I know you might be thinking, this all sounds great, but I am running Sally to cheer 4 nights a week and Billy has baseball, plus we work full time and there is dinner, and laundry. It’s endless. I get it.

When my daughter was born, my son was in 1st grade, I was working full time and also taking care of my nephew who was an infant (the same age as my daughter) as well as his toddler sister, and we had a puppy. It was not easy to get everyone to sit and read a story. Sometimes, If I am being a realist there isn’t a moment.

But what I could do was talk! I would make up stories, as I cooked dinner took them on a walk changed diapers, had the kids answer questions, help create the story. I’m on the same page for storytime.

Sometimes it’s bedtime while you are driving. I get it. We are all just doing our best. But the more you can incorporate it the better. Buy the board books for them to look through, go over words, make up stories, and point out signs.

If you can develop a naptime or bedtime routine bonus points!!!! Not only the benefit of everything above, reading is soothing and calms the mind to get them ready for bed. It’s not a coincidence some children want the same book, over and over at naptime. For my son, we must have read Goodnight Moon a zillion times.

You might want to pull your hair out but breathe through it. It’s settling them down for the night and it doesn’t last forever.

If all that was not enough of a reason – the endorphins and serotonin of cuddling up with your child, or teachers, the satisfaction of having your students all engaged in what you are saying is priceless.

Enjoy the moments and make the memories

You will see evidence wherever you look that shows all the reasons reading to your child will benefit them. Reasons such as:

It will expand your child’s vocabulary, empathy, and problem-solving skills.

* It will promote bonding with your child.

* It offers them an understanding of the world around them.

* Illustrates diversity, and introduces and/or enhances the lessons of value and morals in a fun easy-to-absorb way.

* It will boost your child’s memory- especially story recollection and details.

* While your child is sitting there listening to you, they aren’t just imagining the world of what you are reading, it is expanding their concentration as well.

* It will expand conversation skills. – Ask your child questions as you read, even indirectly. Oh, look at that bear eating chocolate ice cream! What’s your favorite flavor? Do you like 1 scoop or two? I like 10. Let’s count to 10! You can incorporate learning moments and your child won’t even realize it.

* Finally, it fosters a love of independent reading. Your child will most likely do as you do more than what you say. They want to be like you.

Reading various books gives your child experiences they may not otherwise be able to see. Can you travel across the country at a moment’s notice? If you’re like me, probably not, but you can read about another country, their animals, their culture! Does your child like space? You can read about the planets and about what happened to Pluto. (This is still a sore subject for me). I love Pluto. Anyway, I digress.

You have heard of the little boy who loved reading about dinosaurs so much he became a paleontologist? Ok yes, that might be from Friends, but the truth of the matter is, reading does shape your child’s future. Your child will enter kindergarten having been exposed to over 290,000 more words than children who don’t get read to.

I know you might be thinking, this all sounds great, but I am running Sally to cheer 4 nights a week and Billy has baseball, plus we work full time and there is dinner, and laundry. It’s endless. I get it.

When my daughter was born, my son was in 1st grade, I was working full time and also taking care of my nephew who was an infant (the same age as my daughter) as well as his toddler sister, and we had a puppy. It was not easy to get everyone to sit and read a story. Sometimes, If I am being a realist there isn’t a moment.

But what I could do was talk! I would make up stories, as I cooked dinner took them on a walk changed diapers, had the kids answer questions, help create the story. I’m on the same page for storytime.

Sometimes it’s bedtime while you are driving. I get it. We are all just doing our best. But the more you can incorporate it the better. Buy the board books for them to look through, go over words, make up stories, and point out signs.

If you can develop a naptime or bedtime routine bonus points!!!! Not only the benefit of everything above, reading is soothing and calms the mind to get them ready for bed. It’s not a coincidence some children want the same book, over and over at naptime. For my son, we must have read Goodnight Moon a zillion times.

You might want to pull your hair out but breathe through it. It’s settling them down for the night and it doesn’t last forever.

If all that was not enough of a reason – the endorphins and serotonin of cuddling up with your child, or teachers, the satisfaction of having your students all engaged in what you are saying is priceless.

Enjoy the moments and make the memories