Here’s Why Reading to Your Children is More Important Than You Might Think
By: Melissa Sutton
Tags: Parenting Advice, Family, Literacy, Childrens Books, Reading

Photo by Picsea on Unsplash

A child’s opportunities in life are greatly influenced by whether or not they were read to by their parents. This may sound dramatic, but it is undeniably true. Reading to your child is incredibly important for their development and opportunities in life. Despite this, the Parenting Today Report found that over half of children under two and 46% of 3–5 year old’s are not being read to daily.

Did you know that reading for pleasure is a better indicator of a child’s performance at school than their socio-economic background is? Being able to read well has so many positive effects on a child’s education. Students who read regularly, particularly those who enjoy doing it, score higher in problem-solving metrics and are much more motivated.

Higher reading skills are a direct link to better job opportunities and higher wages. The Australian Bureau of Statistics found that those who have higher literacy skills are more likely to have a higher income and work in more skilled employment areas.

Reading to your child also develops their communication skills and stimulates their brain development. You will even help them to build their emotional intelligence so that they can better understand emotions.

Without the early introduction of reading children are at a higher risk of never fully developing these crucial literacy skills. Research has found that 74% of children who have reading difficulties in primary school will continue to struggle with these issues in middle school and beyond. By reading aloud to your children you can ensure they begin to build these essential literacy skills.

Infographic created by Melissa Sutton (Artefact)

It is recommended to start reading to your child from birth. Although this may sound a bit early, there is no ‘too soon’ when it comes to reading together. A parent’s voice is very comforting to a baby and you will be introducing them to language to kick-start their skills.

At this point you might be thinking things like, “how do I actually read to my child? What do I do to show them it’s fun?” To help with this here are some great go-to tips for reading to your kids:

1. The first tip is to engage with your child and the story. Whether your child is three months old or four years old, this is crucial and most importantly, it’s fun! You can bring the characters to life with different voices and vibrant facial expressions. This makes reading an activity that your child looks forward to everyday. Make sure to turn off the TV and phone so you can both focus on the story together.

2. When it comes to reading with babies the experience will be more like playtime, which is exactly what it should be! When you show your baby that reading is fun they will want to keep reading as they get older. To do this, use books that have playful elements such as mirrors and different textures. When you are reading don’t put too much pressure on yourself to get through the whole book. Do as much reading as you can, but don’t be afraid to let your baby play with the book when they try to. As they get older you can move onto more structured reading.

3. Try to make a reading routine by having a regular story time with your children. Arguably the best time to do this, and the one you have probably already heard of, is bedtime. As reading is relaxing it is ideal to do before bed to help soothe your child. Ten minutes of reading can be added into a night-time routine that you might already have in place.

4. A great tip is to have books around the house and to make sure that you are reading for yourself as well. Seeing you read will show your child that reading is something to enjoy. Research has found that if a child sees their parent reading for pleasure, they will want to do the same.

In the end the most important thing to do is make the time and try your best. Parents aren’t teachers, and you don’t need to become one. All you need to do is start, because the time spent together now will benefit your child for the rest of their life.