Why is Reading so Important for Children?

**Collaborative Post**

AD: Reading is such an important skill and one that we use in everyday life from reading instructions to street signs, books to recipes, learning to read early on provides children with a great head start on learning. It is also one easy way to help your child progress at school as reading is an essential skill for learning. 15-20 minutes are recommended daily for the amazing benefits of reading on their performance, if they can achieve this they are then hopefully able to improve their reading ability, and communication skills and strengthen their brain. Aside from the academic benefits, they are able to learn about the world around them, find what they like, and build their identity. 

Here are some more reasons as to why you should read at home with your child from an independent prep school in London.

Reading Expands The Vocabulary

Children learn new words every day and most of this is through either hearing them being spoken or reading them in books. Children are encouraged to read as it builds their vocabulary and many books will have repetitive words in them with this in mind to help children recognise them easier. They encounter new words, which allows them to learn their spellings and their meanings through the contexts that they are used in, and in time will then begin using these words in their own communication. 

Improved Comprehension and Understanding

To follow on from the point above, growing their vocabulary can help children to understand conversations and literature better. Seeing words appear in a story and being able to hear and see through pictures in the book in which context the words are being used can really help them work out a better understanding. This can aid their learning and help them across their subjects at school as they learn which words are appropriate to use and on which occasions. 

Enhanced Writing Skills

Whilst children learn new words through both hearing them and seeing them, reading them in a book can also help aid their writing and spelling skills. Seeing a word repeated on paper and repeatedly seeing it written down can help children recognise how words are spelled and see any letters or sounds that might be silent when spoken but visible when written. Children can enrich their own writing and convey themselves better through words. 

Chance to Bond

Life has a way of being busy, especially once you have children and are trying to juggle day to day life, work and finding time for the kids. Reading is a great way for parents to spend quality time with their children and it can be fit in each day at bedtime or a chosen time, just 10 - 20 minutes a day can be a huge benefit to your child and is a time for you both to sit down together and relax. Children enjoy listening to stories and you can make it a part of your routine by reading together before bed to relax and unwind.  

Keeps The Brain Active

Unlike other activities that aren’t as stimulating, like watching TV and surfing the internet, books keep the brain active. Children must use their thinking skills to sound out words and understand what’s happening so even if your child loves tech time try to break it up with a little bit of reading each day to engage their brain and break up the screen time. 

Creative Thinking Skills

As well as helping educationally, reading also has an element of creative thinking required and can really help engage a child's imaginative side. That's because as they read kids will often build up an image in their heads, especially as they get older and the books contain fewer pictures. This not only helps children get really stuck into the story but it means they are left thinking about what will happen next as they imagine the story progressing. 

Broadened World View

We often hear about children and adults getting lost of transported by books and I think a good book definitely has the ability to let you lose yourself into it for a little while. Books can broaden a child’s world view as they can learn about others’ experiences and perspectives and once they show they have a good understanding of the book, they can easily be transported into the story as they read it. 

xXx