Kids Benefit From Reading

Books have a magical way of transporting us into timeless worlds where anything and everything is infinitely possible. Books are invaluable at seamlessly teaching kids morals and life lessons via fables, fairy tales, and folklore. The colorful images, endearing characters, heartwarming storylines, and brave heroics capture children’s attention and leads them down the ‘Once Upon a Time’ road where their imaginations can flourish.

Kids Benefit From Reading

Reading to your babies and toddlers will inspire them to maintain an affection for books. Little kids love to crawl on your lap, snuggle and listen to endless stories, so reading, in essence, becomes a comfort to them. The library is filled with books covering a huge range of genres, so it’s good to choose from a variety of subjects. Kids are open-minded and will give any book a try if the title or cover photo catches their eye. But reading a book just for fun has more benefits than pleasure. Reading is a healthy habit and it will set kids up for a successful future. Here are some excellent benefits from reading.

Builds Their Vocabulary

The more kids read the more words they will be exposed to and the more their knowledge will expand; this includes foreign languages as well. Reading will help kids develop their words and learn how to use them effectively in a sentence. Phonics, proper enunciation, and communication skills will also improve. Kids absorb everything they read and they are not timid about putting it to use.

Comprehension and Speed

When children read out loud, they will naturally slow down to comprehend what they are reading. Rereading the same books will help them revisit tough words and improve their fluency. Start with familiar subjects and expand from there. Make inferences and ask specific questions, then let your kids express what they feel the book is about.

Improved Focus, Concentration and Memory

Kids have a short attention span unless they are in front of their favorite video games. So, it’s up to us to find age-appropriate relatable books that kids find appealing. Reading will boost their brain, help them stay focused, and improve their concentration skills. During reading time, you can pause and ask your kids about what they read. This is great for their memory and cognitive skills. I have found that kids are more than willing to share an animated version of what they read in great detail. They analyze every little nuance that we as adults totally missed.

Activates Their Imaginations

Whether we read to our children or they read a book themselves, they instinctively visualize the contents. They use their vivid imaginations to create the story in the mind and reenact the scene. Dragons, flying pigs, blue elephants or polka dot trees are no problem for kids to envision. It’s no wonder that creativity is strengthened and nurtured by continuous reading.

Improves Writing Skills

Reading more will naturally improve your writing skills. Kids will pick up different styles of writing and discern proper sentence structure and how words should naturally flow.

Gained Knowledge

Knowledge is power and reading gives kids tons of opportunity to glean information from the pages of a book. You never know what morsel of wisdom they’ve retained and where it might come in handy. I want to share a true story about some people who were in South America. They along with a few other people chartered a boat to tour the area. The guy driving the boat spoke very little English and went out farther than expected. The end result was he got lost and did not know his directions. The make matters worse, he had no compass. Two of the people on the same charter were university students who just happened to have read how to build a compass. Their knowledge saved the day and everyone was so grateful. I also want to mention that knowledge from reading gives you confidence and self-esteem.

Stress Release and Tranquility

When kids get involved in a good book, their breathing and heart rate settles, blood pressure lowers and they get into their zone. Reading makes kids sit still, be present, and lose the fidget factor. It can also soothe bad nerves and whisk you away to a happy place. There is no better stress release like cracking open a book.