Why Every Child Should Read?

“A book is a gift that you can open again and again” — Garrison Keillor

Reading is a wonderful activity that comes with loads of benefits. It is like traveling but without any expenses. A book, can take you to a far-off land, teach you about a different culture and its traditions, and can also make you imagine the taste of new foods.

You get to step into the shoes of someone else and be empathetic to the events and emotions while picking up on new words and grammar nuances. And think about it, all this learning comes for free. You don’t even have to plan an itinerary or pack your bags.

Reading is one of the best habits that you can inculcate in your children. Experts suggest that you should start as early as possible to instill a habit that will benefit them at every stage of their life. Here is a list of top benefits that come from reading. They are magical just like the books they come from.

Benefits of Reading

1. Reading is Good for the Brain

Reading makes multiple parts of the brain work together to create a story. You use one part to read through your eyes, and another part to comprehend the information. There is also a part that imagines every character and location, gives them a face, color, and more. Experts believe that reading is more complex than watching TV. It builds new brain connections and strengthens the existing ones.

2. Reading Improves Vocabulary and Language

When children read, they learn new words. They may not remember all the words to use in their routine conversations but they will know such words exist and can at least identify and understand the meaning and context of their next encounter. Learning new words, new ways of putting sentences together, new methods of expression, and more, directly result in improved language skills.

3. Reading Improves Concentration and Memory (imagination)

Reading is all about imagination. It makes children imagine everything from the looks of the characters to the color of their clothes, their hair, and the house they live in. This imagination of appearance slowly transcends to imagining the feelings of the character and reacting to situations accordingly. Such rigorous brain exercise results in good concentration and memory. Both of which come in handy while learning at school.

4. Reading Boosts Knowledge

This is a given. Reading is one of the finest ways of absorbing knowledge. So, the more the kids read, the more they will know about various topics. Parents should expose children to different genres at the beginning and let the children filter out their preferences over time.

5. Reading Makes Children Empathetic

As already mentioned, reading makes children step into the shoes of the characters and walk. In this process, they identify with the character’s mindset and emotions and understand the struggle or joy (whatever the character is experiencing). This simple exercise makes children empathetic and kind and boosts their social standing at school and other places.

6. Reading Boosts Grades at School

Reading improves concentration and memory and offers tons of knowledge. All of these reflect positively on the grades. Multiple studies have established a relation between higher academic achievement and reading. Therefore, it’s fair to say that children who read, perform better at school and every other academic setup.

7. Reading is Relaxing and Entertaining

Little minds also need to relax and not every learning has to have an academic tone. Reading helps children absorb knowledge in a fun way. It relaxes the mind and freshens it up for more serious tasks like homework and test preparation. Reading in between school and homework can work like a good break that we often try to find in a device.

Reading at Home

Parents can encourage reading at home by introducing story time at an early age. From there, it’s all about keeping up the routine. The books will change, and the habit of reading together will change with time but reading and all its benefits will stay.

One more crucial thing that parents can do to encourage reading is to take their kids to a library frequently. Let the kids choose their books and take control of what they want to read, and what they want to learn.

Reading at School

Reading at school is nothing new. It has been a part of the curriculum for decades now. But teachers can boost children’s interest through fun methods like book discussions, plays based on a book, class decorations according to the book, and so on.

The idea is to make children fall in love with reading. Because they can’t be forced to sit down with a book and read with interest. And it all boils down to a teacher’s capability of transforming reading into a fun routine that children want to do without coercion or bribe.

Inculcate a Love for Reading with Storytelling

Storytelling is a wonderful way of enacting a story through words and expressions. It works wonders for children of all age groups and especially little ones. You can supplement your reading with storytelling or you can simply start with storytelling. While you are at it, do not forget to establish a relation between the story and a book. Point to the pictures, enact everything, and let them also play a role.

Storytelling can work wonders on its own by helping you transfer knowledge and moral values. And with time it also establishes the fact that children can find more stories in books and hence automatically develops an interest in reading.

eTutorWorld offers a splendid Interactive Storytelling Course for children of age 5–12 years. This course covers different styles of storytelling such as Kamishibai, Performative Storytelling, and Puppetry and is conducted by expert Storytellers. Head to eTutorWorld’s Storytelling Page and find out more about this course.