As a parent, grandparent, or caregiver reading to a child from their earliest days is one of easiest and best activities you can do. Children who are read one picture book every day are introduced to about 78,000 words per year.
Research has shown that those children who are read to regularly in the first five years of life will be exposed to 1.7 million more words than those that were not. These are not just numbers – they are reasons why reading with your child daily is important for their growth.
Check out ways a child thrives from reading:
- Connection and Bonding – Reading to and with your child can create moments of connection. Spending time together reading also develops a sense of security and your child will likely learn to view reading and literacy as a positive experience.
- Cognitive and Language Development – Cognitive and language development is defined as how children think, explore and problem solve. By reading, this helps children to gain understanding of the world around them and how to communicate with others.
- Listening Skills – Regularly reading with your child will help them to develop listening skills that leads to a longer attention span and higher memory retention.
- Creativity – A child’s imagination can run free during reading. When a child hears descriptive words, it leaves room for their sense wonder to make the words come to life in their own way.
- Health Benefits – Benefits related to reading include, but aren’t limited to, reducing stress, improving brain connectivity and development, lowering blood pressure and heart rate, developing empathy for others and aiding in a good night’s rest.
- Social and Emotional Development – Reading and hearing stories about different emotions and character behavior help children learn different and positive ways to interact others.
Reading aloud to your child is powerful. It can be one of the most rewarding and fulling activity you do together. Start small and set goals for reading. Be sure to find a special place and time read, it doesn’t always have to be a bedtime routine – do whatever timing works best for you both.
You can always visit a local library or bookstore. Before you know it, you will start to see the benefits from reading!
Resources:
- Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio: Sign up for free books!
- Why Reading Aloud to Kids Helps Them Thrive
- Benefits of Reading to Your Child
- The Power of Reading Aloud
Events:
- Fall Family Adventure at Wegerzyn Gardens Metro Park: Oct. 21, 4-7 p.m.
- Cincinnati Public Libraries story time: Throughout the month of October
Learn Through Play Daily Activities: October
Help children learn through play by using one of the following age-specific monthly calendars that feature daily activities.
Foster Care and Adoption Panel
Interested in learning more about foster care, kinship care and/or adoption? Join 4C for Children on in October for a Foster Care and Adoption Panel. See details below.
- Location: Adriel, Inc. 550 North Detroit St. West Liberty, OH 43357
- When: Wednesday, October 25th, 2023; 6:30-8:30 p.m.
- RSVP: Contact 4C for Children at hub@4cforchildren.org.
Looking for more information? Visit this link.