Why Reading to Your Child
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Let's look at the real life situation of my middle son, Jack. Even though I knew why reading to your child is important, I found it very difficult to read to Jack as a baby. He was never interested in books or reading like his older brother, Eric, was and I found that I had very little individual time with Jack anyway. Jack was very much exposed to books and observed me reading to Eric on a daily basis . . . but . . . I didn't start reading early to Jack. I did not sit down with Jack as a baby and read to him like I had with Eric.
Jack was closing in on his first birthday and I remember thinking to myself . . . "Gosh, I really have to make a point to read to him more." Wouldn't you know it . . . right about that time the flood gates opened up and Jack became naturally interested in books on his own. He insisted on having his Mom and Dad read to him on a daily (and what seemed like an hourly) basis.
It was as if we were being reminded why reading to your child is important and suddenly "catching up" on all that missed reading time in the early months. There were days where I must admit that I felt . . . "not another book" . . . and I am truly a book person who understands the immeasurable benefits reading provides, and
why reading to your child is important.
Jack is SO into books now! I do believe part of that is from his early indirect exposure from his Mommy reading to his older brother. However, I didn't start reading early to Jack. I did not sit down with Jack from the age of birth and read to him. Some babies are very easy to read to. My Jack was not. I took cues from him and didn't push the issue. I certainly encouraged reading with Jack, but if he was dead set against it on a particular day (and there were many), we moved on to the next activity.
The important point to take away from this is that all children will develop a natural interest in books, which is why reding to your child is important. But as all children are different and develop along different time lines, they will also develop this natural interest in books at different ages.
If you didn't start reading early to your child, start reading now. All the benefits derived from reading early are still obtainable. It is a cummulative process. Instead of reading 15 minutes a day, read 30. Instead of reading once a day, read twice. The more you read, the more significant the benefits. This is why reading to your child is important.
A child who is routinely read to enters kindergarten much more academically prepared to learn than a child who was not read to. Children who are routinely read to are much more likely to become readers than children who weren't. And being a reader not only opens up a child's world, it helps him or her start on the right path to a life full of accomplishment and success through the development of good, solid skills and habits. Do you see why reading to your child is important?
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