Why Reading To Your Little One Is So Important

How Book Reading Helps Early Learning

If you were to search the internet for stock images of parents with their little one, it would almost be a guarantee that you would find picture after picture of a parent with a little one on their lap, reading from a picture book! But have you ever questioned why reading preschool books is such a common and important activity to partake in with your little one?

Reading preschool books has so many benefits to your little one’s well-being and growth overall, and is instrumental to early childhood education. Additionally, it is one of the most educational ways you and your little one can spend time together! There are really no downsides to reading lots and lots.

So let’s break it down! In what ways does reading benefit your little one’s early learning experience and well-being? We’ll start with the obvious answer: reading with your little one is an amazing way of improving their early literacy skills! When you read aloud together, your little one becomes more acquainted with different sounds, language, and words. Reading will help improve their already rapidly growing vocabulary, and will help them understand the spoken sounds of a language. Additionally, by reading aloud alongside the preschool book, you can help your little one comprehend that the words don’t come from you so much as they come from the page—basically, how print works! All of these skills will really help your little one with preschool online or off, and will promote continued growth as they get older.

There’s more to it than that, though—reading is also one of the most wonderful ways to introduce your little one to become more familiar with the world around them! By reading a variety of books about many subjects, your little one can begin to develop interests in new concepts or events! Additionally, how many stories, movies, or pieces of art have you seen that exactly mirrored your own life? Very few, right? By reading all sorts of different books to your child, you are improving their ability to learn about, respect and develop interest in the well-being of cultures or lives outside of their own—or even a greater understanding of their own culture and community. They can become more empathetic and kind individuals, and continue to demonstrate growth in their social skills!

Finally, by making reading at least once a day a priority and a fun time, your little one will be able to understand that reading is an enjoyable and informative experience, especially when you take part in it with them! You get to spend time together and bond, and learn more about one another along the way. So what are some good ways to make reading a large part of your daily life? A great way to begin is to always actively involve your little one! Whether it’s by letting them choose the story, hold the book while you read or, if they can, letting them read a bit, by giving them an active role you will allow them to take a stake in book time. You can also designate a special space and time for reading. This will allow reading to become a casual part of the daily routine! Use a big comfy chair, like a beanbag chair or squishy and cozy couch, choose a time of day that will work (it doesn’t have to be 6PM sharp, but a general time like mornings, evenings, etc) and keep lots of preschool book options nearby. You can even utilize online read-alongs to keep your child focused and engaged, if you need to take a break from reading aloud. Finally, just keep it relaxed! It is a-ok if your little one doesn’t want to spend an entire day reading; even the best early childhood education experts can’t always keep a child focused! By keeping it casual but consistent, it will allow your little one time to look forward to reading with you instead of dreading it.

As seasoned readers, we can sometimes take reading for granted, but by making learning to read a priority for you and your little one, you’ll be promoting their early learning and growth, improving their mental well-being and getting to spend precious time together doing a meaningful activity!

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