Reading is a skill that is not only essential to a child’s success in school but in life as well. If a child is going to understand most of the other topics that they will learn in school, they are going to need to know how to read. They need to be able to read what their teacher writes, what is on their computer screen, and what is in their workbooks. The fact is that if a child cannot read, they cannot succeed in life.
There are lots of ways for you to get your child engaged in reading. You can have them read the grocery list for you when you are out shopping, play reading games, or have them read signs for you when you are driving. However, the best way for you to get your child to read is through books.
5 Ways Books Support Your Childs Future
1. Cognitive Development-
Reading helps your child’s imagination and creativity to develop. It allows your child to learn how to dream. Through reading, your child will learn how to create worlds that have never been imagined before. If that is not enough for you, it will also help to improve their problem-solving skills and logical thinking skills as well.
2. Improves Communication Skills-
Your child is also going to be observing the way that the characters in the books that you are reading interact with one another, which is going to help them to develop better communication skills, which will help them throughout their entire life. Spending time with you each day while you read to your child is going to help to create a strong bond with you, and it is going to improve their communication skills with you. Spending time reading with your child is a great way to spend some quality time together. As children grow older, they will have many happy memories of spending time reading with their parents.
3. Improves Intelligence – The more that a child reads, the more that they will learn, and the more they will understand. The more that the child understands, the more intelligent they will become.
4. Reading Books Reduces Stress- When a person reads, they are able to sit in a silent space, their mind is relaxed, and they can focus entirely on what they are reading. This allows their mind to slow down, and they are completely calm. This state is remarkably similar to meditating. While when your child is young, you are going to be the one who is reading, your child will benefit by learning how to acquire this state of relaxation by developing the habit of reading.
5. Increased Concentration and Self-Discipline- Most of us know that the more we read, the more we will understand but did you know that reading will help to improve your attention span? It also improves memory retention and self-discipline. All these traits are going to help your child once they start attending school.
How Can You Get Your Child Interested In Books?
Books are wonderful, but they are not going to do your child any good if you cannot get them interested. However, there are a few tricks that you can use:
- Ensure there are plenty of books available to your child and that they are accessible. Children who enjoy reading usually come from homes where they have access to lots of reading materials. Make sure that you have plenty of books all around the house in areas where your children can get to them whenever they want.
- Be the example. Children who enjoy reading usually come from homes where the parents enjoy reading as well. When a child sees their parent reading, they want to pick up a book and see what is so interesting. Your child is always going to be inclined to develop the same habits that you have, so why not make sure that they are good habits such as reading?
- Take your child to the library regularly. So many people have stopped going to the library and instead turn to the internet. However, there is nothing like the feel of turning the pages of a book while you are reading. Don’t deny your children the experience of going to the library. Let them choose a book about anything that they want. Teach them how to take care of the book and read it with them.
- Make reading time enjoyable. It is so easy for parents to take all the fun out of reading time. Instead of making reading boring, get excited about it. Don’t make it all about just one more chore that has to be done. Get into the store and use distinct voices for each of the characters. Read the story with some excitement in your voice. Make the story come to life for your children. If you are reading a longer book, remember you don’t have to read it all in one night. Read one chapter a night and keep them in suspense. Let their imaginations run wild through the night as they dream up all kinds of beautiful dreams.
You should try to read to your child at least once per day. Read in an area where the two of you are comfortable and where you can spend time together every day. Make sure that the television, radio, or other devices are turned off, and there are no other distractions. Your child should be able to hear your voice, but there is no need for you to have to be too loud. You can place your child on your lap or on your knee so that he or she can see the pictures in the book as you read.
If you have more than one child, make sure to get them involved as well. If they are older, they can get involved as characters in the books. Or they can just sit back and listen to you reading too because the truth is, everyone loves a good book.
