Reading to your children could bring numerous benefits as they get older.
Reading to your children can potentially do far more than simply improving their reading skills, it could also benefit your family life as well as their own confidence and well-being.
In an extract from some interesting research published last year, a number of primary school teachers have revealed that the stories which pupils knew particularly well often seemed to come from watching Disney cartoons.
The research also found that more than half of primary school teachers in the UK have seen at least one child begin formal education with no experience of being told stories at home.
The Government educational adviser, Pie Corbett, qualified this discovery as a “national disaster” and criticised those parents who choose TV instead of books for their children.
“This isn’t just an economic thing, you get a lot of children coming from very privileged backgrounds who’ve spent a lot of time in front of the TV and not enough time snuggled up with a good book. The TV does the imagining for you – and it doesn’t care whether you’re listening or not,” Corbett said.
He stated that this lack of reading at home might put children at risk of being left behind at school and pointed out that children who are read to on a regular basis before they start school are most likely to succeed. ”It’s a key predictor in terms of educational success,” he added.
Four key reasons for reading to your child
Although leaving your child in front of the TV might give parents time to rest and deal with other issues, reading to your children is a routine that could potentially bring numerous benefits to your child’s life as they get older.
Improve their literacy
Obviously, the more you read to your children, the more competent they will become with these skills.
Quality time
The time you spend with your children while you read them a book is likely to not only improve their reading skills, but also benefit their well-being and self-confidence. Feeling close to your parents is something that every child needs in order to feel secure in the family environment.
Improve their general knowledge and imagination
Every book is different and will display a whole new world to your children. This can really help their general knowledge and will develop their creativity and imagination at the same time.
Calm them down before going to bed
Reading to your child before going to bed is the best way to end the day and relax them before falling sleep. Try to select positive stories so they don’t go to bed feeling anxious.