The value of reading to your child

reading

In this digital age where technology is continuously changing and access to different materials has become easier, reading, singing or storytelling has become less important, time-consuming or even a chore. It has become easier for us to put on an episode of their favourite TV show on any device and sit them down while we need to do something or even show children an animated video of stories for them to watch rather than getting the physical book and reading it with them. However, there are many benefits to reading with your child/ren for not only their language and literacy skills but also for success later on in life (Hoyne & Egan, Sheldon-Dean).

What are the benefits?

Here is a summary of some of the benefits that reading with your child has from numerous research articles and educational websites:

Promotes bonding and building a relationship with your child

Spending time reading allows you to build a deeper bond with your child as it is a special time with just the two of you being present and sharing an experience.

Develops their concentration and focus

Focusing on the words, story and characters is not only developing their literacy skills but a way for your child to practice their concentration which is an essential skill for children when they go to school.

Help them navigate feelings and develop empathy

Stories help children to accept and understand feelings as they learn that it is OK to feel the way they do and that they are not alone in their feelings. It also is a great way to help your child deal with new or frightening situations.

Allows them to build positive self-image and self-confidence

Reading shows people of different cultures, shapes, sizes and colours to children which is important as sometimes mass media does not portray this. Early reading with them also relieves the psychological pressure of reading in school as it teaches your child to learn at their own pace in a fun way. Fostering this love of reading and learning early on allows them to become confident and competent before having to read in front of other peers.

Helps children to become better writers and communicators

The earlier that your child is read to and learns to read themselves, the more opportunities that they have to engage with the written word. Being exposed to and engaging with the written word leads to children being better at spelling, grammar, writing and communication.

(Learning Links, Queensland Government, Raising Children, Brown)

reading
Photo by: Pablo Veiga

How does SEEC promote literacy in our learning environments?

In SEEC, our approach to curriculum and planning is to promote lifelong learning in children where literacy, language and communication is one of the focus. We believe that literacy development is an essential area and foundation for children’s growth and development and therefore embed it in many of our learning experiences throughout the day.

Before we start our reading experiences, we demonstrate to children the correct orientation of the books, showing how to carefully turn the pages, the direction in which the text runs, and how the illustrations enhance the reading experience. During the reading, we can point to the different words in the text and the different letters for spelling, in addition to asking the children to make predictions of what might happen next based on the illustrations and what they have heard so far. Once the story is finished, we ask questions about the story to see what the children remember from it, building their comprehension skills.

Ways you can engage in reading to your child?

Make reading a part of your daily routine together

Let your child choose the book and a quiet space to read together. Hold them close to you so they can see the book but also your face as you read to them. If you have more than one child or children who are different ages, read or tell stories that they all enjoy but still try to read to them individually as much as possible.

Make the story engaging for your child

Use gestures or facial expressions, make funny voices, make sound effects, etc. to keep your child interested in the story and this allows them to create meaning with the words. Point to different details in the book or use the illustrations to ask your child what they think might happen next in the book and involve your child in the reading experience.

Read for a few minutes every day

Although reading to children for longer periods is more beneficial for them, just 20 minutes can also have a significant impact. Research has shown that just 20 minutes of reading every day can expose your child to more than 1.8 million words in a year. This can mean one full picture book or one chapter in a book for older children.

Utilise your local library

Libraries have many fantastic resources that are free for the public to use. Many council libraries run story times throughout the week for different age groups which you can take your child to. They also have many audiobooks, e-books and multilingual books to borrow and use at home with your child. (Raising Children, Queensland Government, Government of South Australia, NSW Health Government)

The benefits of reading to your child are immeasurable. It fosters language language development, sparks imagination, and builds a strong foundation for future learning. By nurturing a love of books from a young age, you’re setting your child on a path of exploration. To discover how our Sydney Early Education Centers can help you cultivate this important skill, we invite you to book a tour and explore our enriching curriculum.

References:

Written By

Winnie, CEEC’s Head of Community

Similar Posts