Why We Should Read To Children

For children to be literate and competent in school, learning to read early is an important factor. It is not difficult to read to children, but a conscious effort needs to be made by the parent or care-giver.

Being able to read is a skill. It has to be taught and learned. When was the last time you tried to learn a language and found it difficult and frustrating because there was no one to interact with you? To learn a new language, we need the exposure - to hear and speak.

Children, especially in their early years, are like sponges - they soak up everything that come their way. This is the best time to establish good habits and skills.

When children are being read to, they are challenged both mentally and linguistically. By reading a variety of materials, children are exposed to different topics and language skills.

During story-time or reading time, ask questions. It gives children an opportunity to think and rationalise their answers. It is also a good time for them to communicate back to you, the story-teller, what they think and feel.

10 reasons why it is important to read to children :

10. It is fun and relaxing for everyone.

9. It is a good habit to instill.

8. Encourages communication between parent and child.

7. Promotes bonding between parent and child.

6. Exposure to the different sounds and rhythm in languages.

5. Increases children's vocabulary.

4. Great way to teach values through stories.

3. Develops children's imagination and creativity.

2. Builds children's concentration.

1. Encourages critical thinking at an early age.

When parents and care-givers are willing to spend time to read one or two books a day, imagine how much knowledge and language skills children will receive by the time they start school!

Try working it out with math : 
2 new words a day x 365 days = 730 words in a year.

For a child who only gets to read at age one, when he/she reaches the age of 5, that will be :
730 x 5 = 3650 words!

That's just a minimum number of two new words a day from the books. Children also pick up words and meanings from daily conversation and songs.

Start a reading routine with your children today. Set aside a period of time to read together. Who knows, both you and your children might end up having so much fun reading that you can't stop!

Tanisha Burke, "Reasons We Should Read To Our Children", Jamaica Gleaner News