If you’re a parent, you know doubt have heard about the benefits of reading to your children. Yet when the days are long, you’re exhausted, your house is a mess, your toddler is crying, and you just want to be done with bedtime, sometimes it’s good to remember the why behind reading to your kids. I hope this post is inspiring and helpful as you make time to intentionally read aloud!
For us, it all began with one book: The Read Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease.
When my oldest daughter was two or three, I came across this book and checked it out from the library. After reading about the unbelievable benefits of early reading, I knew we needed to make reading an indispensable part of our kids’ lives. I guarantee this book will inspire you, too!
So why should you read to your children?
1. Reading to your children exposes them to countless new words.
Many academic studies highlight the word gap between children whose parents read to them and those who don’t. By age three, kids who have been consistently read to have literally heard and processed sometimes more than 30 million more words than those who have not. That is one of the most definitive factors for later academic success, and the research behind it totally makes sense.
2. Reading to your children can help speech-delayed children still thrive in early education.
Three of our four kids have had significant early speech delays. At first this was concerning to me, wondering if the speech delay was a sign of other cognitive issues, but The Read Aloud Handbook encouraged me on that point. It is far more important how many words go in to your child’s brain before they are five than how many words come out. That has been so true of our kids as I have watched our late talkers become early readers! Their speech therapists also emphasized the importance of reading aloud even when they don’t seem to be speaking well.
3. Reading to your children creates memorable, sweet family time.
As a family, we can cuddle together in bed with a good book and discuss our favorite parts together. We cried together through Where the Red Fern Grows, laughed aloud in Pippi Longstocking, and were on the edge of our seats during Number the Stars. Long car trips have become infinitely more enjoyable with audio books. We also look forward to our daily commutes to activities so we can continue whatever book we’re currently listening to.
4. As a voracious learner myself, reading to my children has allowed me to continue expand my own intellect.
While motherhood is a wonderful gift, there are certainly seasons of motherhood that feel droll and repetitive. Reading with my children gives me goals to achieve and things to look forward to! I have been able to read so many books with my kids that I never read growing up, and it’s been truly a whole new education for me, as well.
5. Reading to your children can create room for discussions about difficult topics.
Reading books about so many disparate topics, cultures, and periods of history has opened up so many incredible discussions for my children and me. We were able to discuss slavery after reading the Addy American Girl books, why people use colorful language after reading Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, and coping with the death of a close family member after reading Little Britches. I know my kids will study all of these things at some point, but learning about them in the context of a wonderful book opens up natural pathways of conversation.
Are you inspired to read more with your children? If so, check out these book lists to get started: