Growing up, my parents read me a story every night. I always assumed it was the standard in every kid’s bedtime routine across the country. As a teacher with my degree in Early Childhood Education, I know the importance of reading for children. The benefits associated with a simple daily bedtime story seem endless. Imagine my amazement when I read the statistic that only 39% of parents read to their children on a daily basis (Young, Davis, & Schoen, 1996).
In a word, I was stunned. I have witnessed struggling readers and the impact it has on their daily lives. When a child has a hard time reading, everything in school suffers as a result. Would something as simple as a daily ten-minute bedtime interaction between a parent and their child prevent these children from having trouble during their school years? Could it really be that simple? I want parents to know how important it is to read to their children every day.
Profits
Teaches basic reading and writing skills
When you read to children, they are absorbing many things at once. Simple things that experienced readers may take for granted are presented during the first few years of life while listening to a story. Children who are familiar with books know how to hold a book and turn the pages from left to right. They know that the book has a title.
Pre-readers also understand that the book contains pictures and words and begin to distinguish words and letters. They begin to recognize that printed text is read from right to left and top to bottom, which is directly related to initial writing skills. School districts expect children to be reading simple word texts by the end of kindergarten, and having these basic skills can propel them to success.
Teaches basic listening skills
It’s true, as I experience it in the classroom every day. Some children do not have the ability to sit still long enough to listen to a story. Some children may have problems due to a disability, but others may simply not have a clue of what story time is. Making story time at home a fun, engaging, daily activity can encourage children to get excited about story time at school, which can also discourage behavior problems.
Promotes vocabulary and language skills
Think of all the new words children hear in books. Our daily conversations do not require much use of complex language or vocabulary and can hinder a child’s oral language development. Reading to a child can introduce many new words, especially nonfiction titles. Children’s literature offers excellent language models for children. Listening to the flow of writing and innovative words, especially in repeated readings of the same text, can nurture children’s language development.
Knowledge of the world builds
As with language development, reading exposes children to worlds of new information. As a teacher, I used books to teach children about a topic, such as a place, a person, or a topic. The amount of information a child can learn from books is endless, which leads to the next benefit.
Encourage a love of reading
Allowing children to enjoy reading is one of the most important gifts parents can give. Children will learn reading skills in school, but they will come to associate reading with work, not pleasure. As a result, they may lose the desire to read, which affects their school work and the desire to learn. When a parent shares an exciting story with a child and, in turn, becomes excited about the child, the parent shows how much fun reading can be. Jim Trelease, author of The Read-Aloud Handbook, encourages parents to lead by example by affirming; “Make sure your children see you reading for pleasure other than reading aloud time. Share with them your enthusiasm for what you are reading.”
Promotes the bond between parents and children
Reading aloud also creates a special time for parents to bond with their children. Snuggled together for a bedtime story, you’ll help your children develop a lifelong appreciation for reading. (Read aloud, nd) Build self-esteem Children often want to hear the same story over and over again. Just as adults may need to hear something more than once to remember or understand, children are the same.
Trelease (2001) makes a very interesting point: “Those of us who have seen a movie more than once realize how many subtleties we missed the first time. More so with children and books.” He also points out that repeated readings can make a child an expert on a particular book. The child feels good about himself and connects that good feeling with reading (Trelease, (2001).
