11 Reasons Why Reading Is Important For Children

“If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.” –Albert Einstein

Even then, Albert Einstein knew the value of reading. It is a crucial element of every child’s education. Reading is essential for children to become successful in school and in their journey through life.

Most of a child’s learning is done from reading books. The better a child can read, the easier it will be for them to learn what they need to in school.

Renowned and best-selling author, Neil Gaiman, used a fascinating metaphor, “[Reading] books are the way we communicate with the dead. The way that we learn lessons from those who are no longer with us, that humanity has built on itself, progressed, made knowledge incremental rather than something that has to be relearned, over and over. There are tales that are older than most countries, tales that have long outlasted the cultures, and the buildings in which they were first told.”

Apart from being a magical portal which takes people to other dimensions and lets them discover new realities, reading is also a practically beneficial and a fundamental activity for children’s development. Here are some reasons why you should encourage your child to read:

1. Improve Concentration

Focusing on a story regularly is a good practice for children to develop a good habit of focus and concentration to other forms of media presented to them. They can focus more on school and at home when you give them basic instructions.

2. Improves memory

A good practice to boost your child’s memory is by reading a book. To be able to understand a story, one needs to remember the characters, backgrounds, and other associations and details. All these weave a large story and morale that requires a deeper understanding of the reader.

3. Discover the other parts of the world

It is through reading that children learn about the world –people, places, and events. All these are outside of their personal experiences. They get exposed to other ideas and beliefs different from what they’re currently exposed to. It opens their mind to other realities than their own. It is without a doubt, the best form of education.

4. Brain Exercise

Consider reading as a form of exercise is a great start. The more exercise for the brain, the better the child will learn. Practice makes perfect. Encouraging your children to read more will eventually help boost their comprehension and vocabulary.

5. Boosts Critical Thinking Skills

With reading comes comprehension and analytical thinking skills. You predict what’s going to happen at the end of the story, thus, challenging your brain to think of other possibilities.

6. Develops Empathy

Reading is also a good way to get in touch with our emotions. When we read a story, we form empathy to the characters. The more we know about these emotions and feelings, the better we can relate to other people and empathize with them.

7. Develops and Expands Language skills

Through listening to others as they speak and read, children develop their critical language and enunciation skills. If you spend time reading to your child, you help them reinforce basic sounds that form language. When they begin reading on their own, they will read more words and gain more exposure to content. This further enhances their vocabulary and makes them more well-spoken and articulate. If you want your child to learn a new language, reading is vital.

8. Enhances Imagination

While reading, we develop a visual picture. We imagine how the people look like, what’s happening with every chapter, and we connect to these characters and events. We link these characters to our own feelings and identify with them.

9. Better performance in school

Did you know that children who read tend to do better at all subjects tend to do better all the way through school? Studies have shown that students who are exposed to reading before preschool are more likely to do well in all facets of formal education.

10. Source of Entertainment

Children will always be children. They want fun spelled in everything they do. Reading is actually fun, as they develop their love for reading and immerse in the story, they will find themselves laughing at every funny anecdote and excited as the story unfolds.