17 Benefits of Reading For Kids

If you have ever wondered ” How do I raise a reader?”, this article is for you.

We all know that the benefits of reading for kids are not just for young age, it goes further and instils a habit of life-long learning and a thirst for knowledge.

Child psychologists say it’s never too early to introduce reading to your child. No wonder many parents are looking for ways to expose their little ones to reading materials from a very young age.

See how to pick the best bedtime stories for kids,

How To Pick Best Bedtime Stories For Kids

Benefits of Reading For Kids

Let’s see why reading is so important in a child’s development.

Reading helps your child get to know sounds, words and develop early literacy skills

Touch and feel books are a great way to introduce books to your baby/toddler. Board books, books with lots of colours and pictures are always a hit with younger kids. – Consider reading my article 29 tricks to help toddler talk

Books can spark your child’s imagination and stimulate curiosity

Books about mythical creatures like dragons, unicorns or pre-historic animals like dinosaurs widen a child’s imagination and let them see beyond what is visible to the naked eye.

Cognitive development

They will start to take in what you are saying and they will learn things about numbers, colours, seasons , or just about anything.

Related article : Cognitive Development Activities

It helps your child focus

Because they need to listen carefully and gather details in order to understand the story.

Help your child learn about the world

They will learn their own culture and other cultures.

It cultivates a life-long love of reading

The best out of all the 17 benefits, in my opinion

It is a great stress reliever

for both you and your child. Ideal before bedtime to calm down and relax the child for better quality sleep.

Learning good morals and values

Children learn a lot about kindness, patience, determination, resilience etc by reading different books.

Help your child understand new or challenging events and the strong emotions that come with them.

It can be a birth of a new baby, a new school, a new home or even a death of a loved one, there are so many books that help little minds overcome challenging times.

Building their coping skills

Seeing how other people deal with their emotions can help your child handle their own better which will help their wellbeing throughout life.

Your child will be preparing

Even when they don’t know it, for reading on their own someday.

Raising your child’s IQ

Stronger early reading may lead to higher intelligence later in life.

Books are a great resource for getting to know outside world

They can get to know people, places and events outside of their own experience.

Mastering writing skills

Strong early reading and continuity can help a lot with mastering great writing skills. Great writers are not born, it takes a lot more than that !

Improves confidence

Having seen or read about something in books gives confidence in real life situations. Be it hiking, swimming or even potty training (Yes, you read it right)

It gives children a positive attitude towards reading and learning.

Strong early learners find learning to be something “normal” in everyday life not a hassle to get through or an obligation to overcome.

Learn about important life skills

Relationships, friendships, family and life’s everyday occurrences

Related article : 5 Essential Life Skills Every Parent Should Teach

Learn empathy

Books can help children shift into another character’s mind, allowing them to see and feel like the characters in the book. It helps children make social connections.

It’s fun and a great opportunity for you guys to bond

Make lifelong memories together!

The benefits of reading for kids are just too many to count. But I am sure I summarized the most important ones in these 17 tips.

Next, let’s move on to some important tips for reading books with babies and young children. You don’t have to be a story telling expert to do this. However these tips will make your reading more interesting and appealing

Tips for reading books with babies and toddlers

Make a routine and try to share at least one book every day.

Hold your baby in a way that she gets to see both your face and the book. A toddler or pre-schooler can sit in front of you.

Let your child choose the book. You can always keep a set of age appropriate books on hand to choose from.

Find a comfortable space to read together.

Turn off T.V

Mood is an important factor in listening, Create anticipation. You may ask related questions before introducing the book.

Use plenty of expressions and change your tone of voice to fit the conversation.
During a tragic part, slow down, take a deep breath pause between words so that the child can feel the emotion.
When there is a joyful event, use high pitched, rhythmic tone to show happiness. you can giggle, make silly sounds. There are no hard and fast rules. We all can try!! “I have a passion for teaching kids to become readers, to become comfortable with a book, not daunted. Books shouldn’t be daunting, they should be funny, exciting and wonderful; and learning to be a reader gives terrific advantage” By Roald Dahl who has been called one of the greatest storytellers for children of the 20th century.

Be enthusiastic, read stories that you can enjoy yourself.

Choose age appropriate books. Young kids love colourful books with a lot of pictures.

Read with them, not to them. Children don’t need to be passive listeners. You can ask questions, let them predict what happens next, ask for their opinion/solutions/suggestions in order to keep them engaged and entertained.

To help your child understand that letters and words are symbols that are used to communicate, run your finger under the print.

Read ahead – For spellbinding storytelling, rhythm and meter need to be amazing, So a little pre-reading can make a world of difference.

There’s no right or wrong way to share a story, as long as you and your child are entertained. Be silly and have fun!

Teach your child to respect books. Tearing pages, crumpling and damaging books need to be discouraged. (Board books are ideal for babies/toddlers)

It’s never too early to start.

- Wordless picture books are a great way to engage your child. You can tell a new story every day and your child will also love to contribute.

- You don’t have to finish a story- There’s no rule that we must finish the story. The moment you understand that the child is too tired, not interested or not in the mood , it’s time to call it a day!

- Give books as presents and encourage your child to swap books with friends. Starting a road-side community library is a good idea too.

- All reading is good reading. It can be a magazine, letter, menu, recipe book or even a label, doesn’t matter. Reading is reading. Appreciate your child for the effort. You can keep adding variety to your child’s reading resources that way.

- Take a look at the pictures in books. Sometimes there’s some small detail that’s not mentioned in the story. There may be a something funny you can giggle about! Make good use of it!

- Have a family bookshelf. It’s a great way to show your kids how much you value books. Books you have read in various stages of your life can be added to show them that there’s always sentimental value attached to books.

- Talk about books you have read in your younger days and reminisce about the nostalgia a book can carry hidden among its pages.

- Give all your attention when you are reading the story. Staying away from mobile phones is necessary and if you have a baby, you can read with younger kids when the baby is sleeping.

- Always keep books where children can reach them. Bottom drawers/ shelves are a good idea.

- Take trips to the local library- As your child gets older, the library is great resource for exploring new books and authors. Find out if there are kids activities like Rhyme Time, Story Telling or Book Clubs.

- Engage your child in reading in a way that suits them – You know your child best and you know the time of day they are most attentive. Pick that time to read books. Try some warming up activities to make them ready to listen.

- Bring reading to life – You could try cooking a recipe you’ve read together OR an experiment you have read together.

- Play games that involve making connections between pictures, objects and words. Ex: Treasure hunt

- If your child has favourite books, reread them as many times as they like ( Because a book is not just a story, it’s a mixture of emotions. Let your child enjoy it)

- Finally, make reading an important part of YOUR life and your children will follow in your footsteps.

Summary

This article explains the benefits of reading for kids and how it helps cognitive, social and emotional wellbeing in detail and tips to make reading a delightful experience for little ones.

Do your kids have favourite books that you can read with both eyes closed? haha. Love to hear their names and add them to our collection.