For a small child reading books is the most valuable and developing form of entertainment. We all remember the great action “All of Poland Reads to Kids”, a lot is said about not forgetting to read to your child, but why is it so important? Find out what skills reading books will develop in your child.
Neuroscience shows that analyzing pictures or speech is not as challenging and engaging a process as reading. When reading, different areas of the brain are activated at the same time, responsible for vision, speech development and the acquisition of new concepts, among others. Reading supports the development of memory in the child, the formation of new neural connections in the brain – synapses, which strengthens the ability to focus and concentrate. It also influences the ability to think in cause and effect directions.
Children’s books, no matter whether for older children or for the youngest, develop the speech and vocabulary that a toddler uses. Reading with a toddler can be based solely on showing pictures and reading captions; this alone will teach the child both basic and new words. With older toddlers and school-age children, reading will greatly expand vocabulary and show correct language patterns, which are extremely important. Learning correct sentence structures, syntax and model language comes with reading books. The same is true of spelling and punctuation. By becoming sufficiently familiar with a word written on a page, you will easily remember its correct spelling.
Through books, a child develops their ability to imagine the characters and situations described. We all know that imagination is dying in the digital age, and it is an extremely important part of life. Reading also develops empathy and teaches the child to empathize with the characters in the stories. Through this, the child gains emotional intelligence, which is a key trait for any adult. These skills shape the young person for future life and make it easier for him to resolve conflicts and deal with difficult emotions.
Through reading books, a child can learn new things. Educational children’s books are also of great value because they teach new skills and broaden a child’s horizons. Books show children the world beyond their everyday life. A toddler can learn about new and unfamiliar animals, an older child can learn about what life is like in other parts of the world. Appropriately selected stories can also help the child adapt to new situations, such as going to kindergarten, the arrival of siblings, or puberty
A parent can also begin or support learning to read by reading together. The adult should read all the long words, and the child should spell and synthesize the shortest, at first two-letter words, then increasingly longer words.
Time spent with a parent raises children’s self-esteem. Toddlers who are read to every day feel important and loved because they have time for the most important adult in their lives. Doing various activities together strengthens the parent-child bond. Fairy tales for children to be read by parents are beautiful stories through which you can pass on important values to your child. Reading, especially in the evening, takes the form of a real ritual before bedtime, which is not only an opportunity to spend time together, but also to talk and tell each other about their day, just to be close.
Reading has a huge impact on the proper intellectual and emotional development of a child. In addition, it gives parents the opportunity to spend time with their child and support them in their studies. The benefits are truly many, so don’t wait and, if you’re not already doing so, read your child a bedtime book today.
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