Today is Read Across America Day, an important touchstone that helps us reflect on the importance of books in children’s lives. Reading is a foundational practice that children can start to do independently by age seven or eight. Beyond these years, reading skills are important to a child’s ability to succeed in school and throughout their lives. In our view, it is never too early to start building a healthy relationship between children and books and to pique their interest early in the imaginative worlds of stories and tales that can teach them about themselves and the world around them.
At Maryvale, our Early Childhood Education program integrates reading activities by introducing fundamentals such as recognizing letters and numbers, building awareness of sounds and some written words, and story time. We hold special events for our students as part of the national Reading is Fundamental (RIF) program, whose focus is on increasing literacy and instilling a love of reading in children of all ages. Our most recent RIF event was themed around Día de los Muertos. In the leadup to the event, we invited families to bring pictures of their loved ones who have passed away, and we used these to create a collective Día de los Muertos altar. On the day of the RIF event, each classroom set up a table with a special activity. Our infant and toddler classrooms enjoyed a story time section and invited all families and children to participate. Our preschool classroom participated in math and drawing activities. At the end of the event, we sent each child home with a book.
Reading To Children Supports Their Mental Development
We believe there are also many ways parents can support a child’s love of reading outside of school hours. Reading aloud to children has several benefits – some are obvious, and others might surprise you!
Children grow in their ability to think and build upon their cognitive capacity when adults read aloud to them. Opening a book, reading aloud at a pace that young children can follow, and showing children the book’s pictures helps a child form thoughts and memories. It also helps them glean problem-solving skills and learn about decision-making. Have you ever found yourself explaining a story or picture while reading aloud to a child? As it happens, this act of ‘talking around’ a book may be even more valuable than reading aloud to a child. An adult’s additional commentary helps children connect what is happening in the book and what they experience in their everyday lives. It gives children key context to make sense of what is happening within a story and helps them feel like reading is an interactive activity rather than a passive one.
When Children Hear You Read, They Gain Valuable Skills
The more a child hears an adult read aloud, the more the cells in their brains will fire and attach meaning to words. It may not be surprising that children whose parents read aloud to them have an easier time with language acquisition. What is surprising, though, is that in addition to understanding words, children who listen to books tend to have better social skills and are more adept communicators and critical thinkers. The more words a child is familiar with, the better set up they are to continue expanding their vocabulary and excelling in school and beyond.
Reading To Children Promotes Focus and Imagination
Before a child can read aloud, listening to read aloud allows them to sit still, practice some self-discipline, and focus on what you’re saying. Making reading a fun, integrated activity that happens every day at home can promote a longer attention span and a sense of self-discipline, which are highly beneficial when a child enters school. For many children, the reward of this focus is the freedom to explore their imaginations while reading or being read to. The more a child dreams big and develops a sense of creativity, the better they will feel at expressing themselves as they grow up.
In addition to all these benefits, reading to an infant or toddler is a beautiful way to spend quality time together. If you’re looking for some book inspiration, check out this extensive list of age-appropriate books for children at all stages of their development.
