Why Read Aloud to Your Children?

"She came to me, crawled upon my lap dragging behind her a dog-eared book of pages smeared with . . .peanut butter, and suggested . . . , 'Help me read it, Daddy; help me read it.' "-Dr. Clifford Schimmels, professor of education.

CHILDREN -they learn so quickly. Research shows that rapid brain development occurs in children younger than three years of age. Everyday parental activities such as reading, singing,  and being affectionate can play a crucial role in a child's healthy development. However, according to one study, only about half of all parents of children between the ages of two  and eight read aloud to their children daily. You may wonder, 'Does reading to my child really make a difference? 

Engendering a Love of Reading

Experts suggest that the answer is yes.  "The single most important activity for building the knowledge  required for eventual success in reading is reading aloud to children.. This is especially so during the preschool years," says the report Becoming a Nation of Readers.

While listening to stories read from a book, children learn at a young age that the letters on the page corresponds to the words in our spoken vocabulary. They also become familiar with the language in books.  "Every time we read to a child, we're sending a  'pleasure' message to the child's brain. You could even call it a commercial, conditioning the child to associate books and print with pleasure," notes one handbook on reading aloud. Parents who foster this love of books will cultivate in their children a life-long desire to be readers. 

Next time: Why Read Aloud to Your Children?/Helping Them Understand the World Around them

From the jw.org publications