Opening up a colorful picture book and reading with your toddler might just seem like a fun, easy way to spend time together and entertain your little one. However, the bright, simple picture books you read to your child today are paving the way for the novels and textbooks of the future. Reading with young children is not just beneficial in the moment, but also offers a long-term advantage in the classroom and beyond. Research carried out by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development in 2011 showed that when parents read to their toddlers, the children still carried the benefits at 15 years old. These teenagers were ahead of their peers in reading skills, showing that parents who read to their toddlers were also likely to see their children bring home excellent report cards in high school. Children learn most effectively and quickly early in life. So if you get them reading early, the results will be exponential. Once you get a child reading, the hardest part will be to get them to do anything else!
Reading is an essential cornerstone of learning. Whether from the printed word in books or from information accessed online, reading is a skill that comes into constant play throughout the average person’s day. When a child enters the classroom, reading becomes even more important. Not only do children learn important information by reading, enabling them to fulfill homework requirements more easily and accurately, they also have the means to learn about different cultures and expose themselves to different mindsets and opinions. By opening their minds to new ideas, children can become more discerning and flexible thinkers. In addition, reading and listening to narratives gives children better problem-solving skills and helps them think critically.
When you read with your child, you create positive associations with reading, meaning that your child is more likely to see reading as something fun and beneficial instead of an unwanted chore. It also improves their reading comprehension, vocabulary, and reading speed. The combination of these benefits will serve them well as they become students and professionals later in life.
A child who loves to read will find it brings them endless enjoyment, as there are endless books to read. Reading is also a low cost hobby as public libraries, book swaps, and used book stores provide free or cheap access to books. There is also endless web content that is free as well. There are many skills an concepts that can be learned for free If someone only puts in the time to read up on the subject.
All these skills work together to contribute to a thoughtful, informed student. When it comes to a love of learning, reading early and often is one of the best ways to ensure a bright academic future. So read to your child early, and encourage them to read on their own and discover adventures and endless knowledge and information.