Reading to your kids has so many benefits for both their brain development and academic
success. It provides many lifelong advantages and helps enrich their lives. It’s also never too
early to start! In fact, reading to newborn babies exposes them to the sound of words, images,
shapes, colors, and life concepts. It allows them to build and grow their cognitive and language
skills as well. They’ll become more effective at communicating and have an easier time learning
how to speak and put words together.
Reading to your baby and kids is an opportunity for you to spend time together as a family and
strengthens the parent-child bond. The physical closeness and hearing your voice leads to your
child making a deeper connection with you. Not only that, this period together encourages your
child to associate reading with joy and will cultivate a life-long interest in books.
Children will also get to learn about their world, as well as many life lessons. Books introduce
kids to important values such as compassion, friendship, and managing emotions, life sciences,
geography, history, cultures, different perspectives, and more. Books are also a fun way for
young children to learn numbers and the alphabet, as well as build their vocabulary. As kids
become exposed to diverse lifestyles and experiences, they’ll develop empathy, emotional
awareness, and appreciation for people’s differences and feelings.
By reading to your children at an early age, you help set up their skills for academic
performance. Kids learn how to read on their own when they’ve been read to. And as they
develop their reading ability, their memory and focus, as well as problem-solving, decision-
making, communication, and comprehension skills will improve. Sitting down to read for a
period of time is a disciplined activity that boosts concentration, making it easier to focus in
class or while completing homework. Even children with ADHD or ADD will see an improvement
in their attention span.
Reading also opens your child’s imagination and creativity. When kids are engaged in stories,
they’ll imagine and think more about the world around them, different places, and how
characters’ experiences can relate to theirs.
We recommend reading every day, even if it’s for a little bit. Consistent reading builds your
child’s skills and learning over time. It’s beneficial to make the reading experience interactive as
well. Point out the objects in the pictures and the values and themes embedded in the stories.
Not only will this make reading more enjoyable, but it will still stimulate your child’s brain
development. Take the opportunity to ask your child questions about their perspectives and
feelings regarding the books to encourage independent and critical thinking. It’ll also help them
become more attentive at listening.
If you need help with finding and choosing age-appropriate books for your child, we
recommend using resources such as as Common Sense Media or Reading Rockets, as well as your
local library.