How Reading with your Children can Inspire a Lifetime of Learning

Parents are always looking for new ways to bond with their children, and if those methods can also improve their child’s future performance in school and in life, then the benefits are magnified. Reading with children, even when they are infants and toddlers, can largely determine their capacity to learn throughout the remainder of their life. Children who possess a love of reading have a thirst for knowledge and a natural curiosity that will serve them well in school and in the years after their formal education is complete.

Reading Is Not Intuitive

Reading is such a fundamental part of life for most adults that we take much of it for granted. Our own process of learning that books are read from front to back, that pages are read from top to bottom and that words are read from left to right is buried so deeply within our early experiences that we’ve forgotten that there was ever a time when these things might have been mysterious for us. By reading with your child from an early age, they begin to process these facts, giving them a learning advantage when they begin preschool and elementary school. 

Language Development

As you read along with your child, using a finger to point out words and images within the book, they experience new sounds and new vocabulary. Before long, they’ll be using these words in conversation, and they may also begin to sound out words in books on their own. Regular reading with your child encourages their brain to make neural connections that will enhance their ability to use and understand language. They may begin talking sooner and will have better vocabulary than peers who have not been read to as much.

Increased Attention Span

The transition into preschool or elementary school is often difficult. This can be particularly true for children who are not accustomed to being asked to sit still and attend to an activity for a certain time period. Regularly reading to your child can substantially ease this transition. Though a toddler may initially show signs of restlessness while reading a book, they gradually expand their ability to focus and pay attention. Soon, they are able to be attentive throughout the reading of a book. This ability serves them well in their initial school experiences, and these students are usually able to increase their attention span through successive school years. The ability to concentrate for relatively long periods of time makes it possible for your child to succeed in school and life.

Reading Fosters Curiosity

A child’s natural interest in cars may lead you to purchase a book about cars. This interest may then grow to encompass other forms of transportation like buses, trucks and trains. Next, your child is fascinated by airplanes and rocket ships. Before you know it, your child is reading about outer space and traveling to distant lands. An interest in one simple thing can lead to a multitude of other interests. This curiosity about the interconnectedness of the world is something that is necessary for any scholar and will encourage your child to seek out meaningful experiences throughout their lifetime.

Nurturing Bonds

Time spent reading with your child is a chance to cuddle and laugh together. It’s an experience shared by you and your child, teaching him that reading is a positive bonding opportunity. Your child will quickly learn that reading can bring people closer together. You’ll also find that your child communicates better when you read regularly to her. A shared reading experience fuels good conversation, and your child will be more likely to read in the future to help strengthen interpersonal relationships and their knowledge of the world.

Logical Thinking

Through reading, children become familiar with concepts like cause and consequence. They may receive information about values and relationships. Reading provides children with important critical thinking skills that they will use throughout their life. They become better able to recognize a coherent chain of events rather than assuming that actions have random consequences. This ability to seek out the reasons why something is happening is a tool that will serve your child throughout the span of their life. 

Author Bio

Joe Johnson is an avid blogger who contributes to a number of publications on a range of topics from study habits, research, and educational awareness. Click here to learn more about specific MBA programs for continuing your education.  


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