Are you looking for a reason to sit down, take a break and pick up a book?
Below are 9 great reasons why doing just that, is one of the best things, you can do for a child today and every day!
- Begin reading to your child at birth. 90% of a child’s brain growth occurs between birth and 4 years of age.
- Reading aloud introduces the patterns of language and develops vocabulary.
- Reading to a child 20 minutes each day will enable him or her to hear one million words in a year and will expand his or her vocabulary by 1,000 words.
- Research indicates a connection between the development of language competence and motor skills.
- Reading aloud helps a child develop a longer attention span and encourages the art of listening.
- Reading aloud together will develop a special bond between you and your child. Touch between parent and child is very important to the development of the brain and the child’s emotions.
- Children who are ready to become readers are more likely to succeed in school.
- Reading aloud provides cognitive, emotional, and social development. Sharing stories introduces and keeps alive the cultural heritage of our own traditional tales and those of other cultures.
- Lewis Carroll, the author of the famed Alice in Wonderland, called stories “love gifts.” Sharing a story is giving a gift. It is a shared experience that produces a relaxed, peaceful feeling.