It’s National Read a Book Day today! There are many reasons why you should read books with your child. Reading with children has many benefits and can help with their development in so many ways, and there’s plenty of research to back it up.
Here are just some of the benefits of reading:
Reading brings you and your child closer together
As an adoptive parent, you know that adoptive children can sometimes have trouble creating attachments. Reading is a simple activity that you can do together that can help you feel close to each other. It’s worth taking the time to grab a good book and snuggle up to help bring you closer together.
Reading can help with concentration and patience
Even when toddlers are seemingly more interested in trying to turn the page or throw the book you’re reading on the floor – continuing to read with them will eventually improve their concentration skills, which will be very beneficial by the time they reach school age.
Reading helps develop their language skills
Often the way in which we speak to our children can be quite repetitive, and the language that we use is quite limited. Reading aloud to children exposes them to a vast vocabulary that is used in many different contexts, which will help with your child’s language development.
Reading encourages your child’s creativity and imagination
Where else can you be a pirate sailing through the ocean to find treasure or be a knight about to rescue a princess from a tower? When reading a book, your child is excited about they can become immersed in the storyline and really visualise the characters and what is happening. Exposing your child to a variety of stories and topics will expand their imaginary landscape.
Reading encourages a thirst for knowledge and understanding
Reading a book can lead to your child asking questions about the story and what has happened. It can help them develop an understanding of different topics, and may even lead to them having an interest in learning more about a particular subject. Reading can serve as a learning experience.
There are many more reasons we should be encouraging our children to love reading.
Sometimes a child may have a favourite book that they choose to be read to them again and again, and although this can seem quite boring to a parent and you may want to opt for a different book, it is important to think about why this particular book is their favourite. It could be about something they are interested in and want to learn more about, or it could be comforting to them in some way. Don’t be afraid to talk to your child about books that you have read, and encourage questions.
So, this National Read a Book Day, whether you spend the day at home or decide to go to your local library, make sure that reading books is on your agenda! Let’s turn those reluctant readers into literature lovers!
