Today, we’re sharing parenting tips on the benefits of reading to children. Reading to children during bedtime has been a staple in raising children for many parents. However, the activity goes beyond being a means to strengthen the ties between parent and child. Additionally, science has proven that kids can gain a lot of benefits from the activity.
Benefits of Reading to Your Children:
It helps them develop their vocabulary
One of the most obvious benefits of reading to children is that it helps them learn new words. According to G. Reid Lyon, at the National Institute of Child Health and Development, reading can increase brain activity. Specifically, it stimulates the auditory cortex, which is the part of the brain that handles language sounds. The more they become exposed to words, the quicker it will take them to process and learn them.
It helps stimulate their imagination
You might find it hard to believe that imagination can actually be measured by science, but that is exactly what a medical team from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center did. An article on WebMD summarized the results of their research, which revealed that reading to children helps stimulate brain activity.
The study revealed that the more time children were exposed to reading at home, the more they showed brain activity while listening to stories at the laboratory. Dr. John Hutton, who led the team, stated that this was an indication that reading to children can help fire up their imagination. Scientists believe that early reading can help develop children’s literacy later on in life.
It helps advance their skills
In 2013, the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research discovered that children aged 4-5 years old who read 3-5 times a week have the same reading skills of kids who are older than them by 6 months. The older children read less than twice a week. Furthermore, the study discovered that reading to kids 6-7 times weekly can help them become on par with those who are nearly a year older than them.
These promising results go beyond the laboratory. The author and illustrator Nadia Shireen, who, in an interview with Tootsa, revealed that as a child, she went to the library regularly. As a result, it inspired her to pursue her profession.
Reading does not just improve children’s adeptness to words. It can even improve their mathematical skills. An article on The Guardian discussed how this could be due to the fact that reading makes kids more receptive to new ideas, enabling them to pick up skills, including involving numbers, much faster.
It teaches them coping skills
Reading can also help children learn coping skills. Books can help children learn how to better handle difficult situations. Additionally, books serve as a temporary escape that they can turn to in times of stress.
– First, Clayton and Desmond enter a contest to build a snowman. Their efforts just don’t seem to be working. So, they join forces to build the biggest snowman ever. Hurray for team work. Ages 4 – 8.
– Nikki drops his white mitten in the snow, but doesn’t realize it. It’s hard for him to find because of the white snow. As a result, the woodland animals help him search for it. Ages 1 – 3.
– A little girl sees tracks outside her window. She decides to follow the tracks only to realize that the tracks are hers from the day before.
– The children of this snow-clad chalet village build two huge snowmen. Ages 4 – 7.
– This gingerbread girl has licorice hair, and an awesome plan to outsmart the fox. Ages 2 – 5.
– Ollie is given his first pair of real skis, and sets off on an adventure. He meets lots interesting people including Ms. Thaw. Ages 3 – 6.
– Sneezy the Snowman is cold. He decided to warm up by drinking some cocoa, sits in a hot tub, stands near a fire and than melts. But children decide to build him back up. Ages 6 – 8.
– The weatherman depicts snow. Snuggling on the sofa with hot chocolate, building a snow fort, snowballs and sledding are in the future. Ages 5 – 8.
– Check out all of the objects that can be used to decorate snowmen. The book is beautifully illustrated. Ages 3 – 8.
– Additionally, there’s a snow globe on the mantel in a family’s home. Inside the snow globe is a family waiting for someone to shake the globe so there will be a blizzard. Will a family member shake the globe? Who will it be? Ages 6 – 8.
– A bunny rabbit steals a snowman’s story book when he falls asleep. The snowman wants his book back. Get ready for a chase! Ages 3 – 7.
– Have you wondered what snowmen do at night? They may loose buttons, an arm or their carrot nose, but nobody knows how. Find out about the secret life of snowmen in this exciting book. Ages 4 – 7.
Ages 3 – 5.
– Tacky’s behavior annoys his friends. They are prime and proper, however, Tacky is not. But his strange behavior saves the day. Thereafter, they see him differently. Ages 4 – 7.
– Akiak is the lead dog on a team of Huskies. As usual, she head ups the team. But she hurts her paw and has to be removed from the race. Fortunately, Akiak doesn’t know that she’s been disqualified. Although she has been disqualified, she continues to run beside her team. Ages 5 – 8.
– Bear Country (Berenstein Bears) becomes a winter wonderland. Ages 4 – 7.
– Eloise’s nanny decides to take her and Weenie ice-skating! Weenie is a dog. But can dogs ice-skate? Ages 6 – 8.
– In another story, the first ten days of winter bring special gifts for a special friend. I wonder what they are? Ages 3 – 6.
– This book is great for our science lovers. It discusses snowflakes how they are formed, different regions and they snow received, and how to prepare for a snow storm. Ages 6 – 9.
– Pauline and her little brother, John-John, decide to open a lemonade stand in the winter. It’s unusual, so will they be able to sell their cold drink? Ages 3 – 7.
– Next, Lars goes hunting with his father, but he is so tired from the day’s activities he falls asleep. As a result, he doesn’t hear the ice crack. Unfortunately, he drifts away from his father and the North Pole. Will he be able to find his way back?
– Max and Molly Beckett are brother and sister. As usual, they are looking forward to their annual ski weekend with their grandfather on Powderhound Mountain. Ages 4 – 7.
– Last, Olivia and her classmates have been assigned to build the best snowman for the town’s Winter Festival. They decided to build a snowlady instead of a snowman.
