Importance of Reading to Kids
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We read a lot in our house. I make sure to read something to my kids every day. We do a lot of read-alouds during school, but I also make sure to read to my younger kids so they hear books on their own level. I always read my little ones a bedtime story. It is as much a part of their bedtime routine as brushing their teeth. Scholastic and Orajel™ have teamed up to create Read2Me Tonight. It is a campaign to encourage parents to make reading out loud to their children and brushing their teeth part of their families’ bedtime routines. Today’s posts tell the importance of reading to kids each and every day!
Reading to kids is SO important and I want to tell you a few of the reasons why.
Reading can be a bonding time for families. When we read together, we often are also snuggling, and laughing and interacting in ways that we wouldn’t be otherwise. We have shared experiences and memories that are enjoyable. My 11-year-old is a phenomenal reader, yet he still loves it when I read aloud to him. My little toddler loves being read to just as much as my 11 year-old. It is a family activity that we all enjoy!
Reading gives us new knowledge. Books do not have to be educational to teach us something new. Kids learn new words, new experiences, cultures, and new ways to think about things from books. Books can open their minds to things they have never thought about before.
Reading to kids builds a love of reading! Kids are going to love reading more when they have positive memories and experiences with it. They will see it as an enjoyable activity, and not a stressful one.
Kids will develop language sooner and have a wider vocabulary when they are read to regularly. Hearing a word in context helps you understand its meaning. If you are regularly reading to your kids, they will hear more words and increase their vocabulary from an earlier age. This is true of very young children, too. They will learn more words sooner when you are reading to them early on. It is also true of older kids. If you read books to them that would be a little bit too challenging for them to read on their own, they will learn new words in context.
Reading books can spark imagination and creativity in kids. There are so many books that just get their minds going and help them to be creative! I love the books that make them think and stretch their minds in new ways. I also love books about kids doing awesome things because it helps my own kids see that they, too can be (and are) awesome!
Reading to kids helps them develop listening skills. My kids are quite good at sitting and listening to books for an extended period of time because I read to them regularly. However, they have learned this skill from doing every day for years. My younger children do not have the skills that the older ones do, but will build it up over time. Listening skills are SO valuable in many areas of life.
My son captured this video a few weeks ago of me reading one of my daughter’s favorite books to her. Story time is a very special time for her and it happens each night at bedtime!
We received a free kit from Scholastic and Orajel™ with a book and Orajel™ PAW Patrol™ toothpaste and a toothbrush. It is a great little bedtime kit! Scholastic contains tons of resources to get parents excited about reading to kids, including a free Scholastic e-book called The Three Bees, the 100 Best Read-Aloud Books, and some essential articles from the editors of Scholastic Parents.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Orajel™. The opinions and text are all mine.
I had no idea that reading out loud to children helps them develop language sooner and have a wider vocabulary. My cousin just turned six last year. When she was two years old we were all impressed with her ability to not only talk, but to form complete sentences and use big words. To this day she uses words that I didn’t learn until I was around 10.