Why It Is Important To Read Aloud With The Children Every Day
Reading is one of the most important activities in a child’s life because it builds their minds. The best gift you can give your children is to start reading aloud with the children from an early age. Even before they begin to understand what you are reading or can even read a word themselves, this is a very important habit to incorporate with your children.
As your children grow up, you can more and more begin to take the party as a listener yourself as they read to you, uttering the words and understanding the meaning of the text. There are many benefits to reading aloud with the children that may not always feel so obvious when it’s time for the evening story. But it is more important than you might think.
When your children are old enough to read to themselves, this does not mean that you should stop reading to them. The benefits are both in reading for and listening to the other. For example, you can read together or take turns reading. Your child may have prepared something to read in school that he can read to you again in the evening, or you can read it to him.
Why is it so important to read aloud with the children?
Below are some benefits of reading aloud with your children. So if you have not already incorporated this habit into your life, you can start now. Better late than never!
Reading aloud with the children increases their vocabulary
Whatever type of book you choose to read , it will help increase your children’s vocabulary. As a result, their language expands, even if you may not notice it right away. This gives them an intellectual advantage and helps them to do better in school and in life.
Language patterns are created when reading aloud with the children
Children learn to speak mainly by listening to their parents use the language. So when you read to your children, they can hear the correct structure of the language and listen to the grammar, and naturally begin to imitate this.
Children do not learn about verbs, prepositions, conjunctions or adverbs out of thin air. On the other hand, reading gives them a vocabulary that teaches them to recognize the language components when they then have to learn them in school. They will not only have a larger personal dictionary, but also good abilities for sentence construction and grammar.
Ability to think
When children read or listen to stories, the thoughts are in full swing. This is a great opportunity to ask them questions to develop their critical thinking. You can take a few minutes each day during your reading aloud with the children, where you either read or listen, and then ask them different types of questions about the story you have just read.
This can help them learn to analyze and express their opinions on various topics. At the same time, they have to think of different solutions to the problems that appear in the story you are reading. By asking questions , children will begin to listen and analyze the content of the story instead of just listening passively.
Reading aloud with the children teaches them to read themselves
The very best way to encourage children to read is to read to them. Children learn from their parents before they start learning from someone else. If they see that you are reading, they will want to imitate you and also read.
Reading aloud improves children’s writing ability
Reading improves language skills, which in turn improves writing skills. Not only does it teach them proper sentence structure and the ability to use language correctly, but their expanded vocabulary also helps them with creative writing.
Reading stimulates the imagination. Therefore, the children’s own writing will come to life when their imagination comes to life through their stories.
An intimate moment with reading aloud
The time you spend together is valuable. After a long day of school, exercise, homework and other activities, reading is a safe way to unwind and have a moment of uninterrupted quality time with your children. When you sit together in a quiet and peaceful corner of the home, where there are no disturbances, this becomes an intimate moment where you feel connected to each other.
All good stories contain aspects of problem solving. The characters end up in all sorts of situations and look for solutions to solve their problems.
Children have already experienced a certain degree of problem solving in their own lives. But by reading, they gain new experiences where they see how others solve their problems in their everyday challenges. As a result, their ability to analyze different situations and know how to act correctly is developed.
Ask your children to come up with solutions to the characters’ problems before you get to the end of the story. In this way , you stimulate their problem-solving ability.
Analyze the decisions that the characters in the stories come to and discuss whether the children agree. They may even have their own options for how the story should end. Life is full of challenges and reading is a great way to learn how to cope with them.
Reading aloud with the children teaches them to concentrate
When children are allowed to listen to stories, it increases their ability to focus on what they are listening to. When captivated by the details of a story, they try to listen more actively, which over time increases their ability to pay attention. The more interesting and captivating a book is for a child, the more focused it will be during reading.
Reading can increase children’s overall ability to pay attention. In other words, this also extends to other areas, and can thus mean that they get better results in school and when they perform different activities. Unlike looking at a screen, which negatively affects the brain, reading can, on the contrary, stimulate concentration. Children need to listen and read and be able to reflect on what they read or listen to.
As you can see, there are many benefits to setting aside a moment to read aloud with your children for a while each day. These benefits apply overall to children’s lives, and help to develop them both on a personal level and on an intellectual level.