A study shows that kids who read have better literacy and social skills than kids who do not.
As a parent, you might wonder why kids need books at an early age when there is a whole life ahead for them to develop a reading habit. Well, if a person wants to be successful in any area of life, reading and writing skills always come in first place.
Reading is a fun activity, but there is more value that books can provide than just entertaining your child’s mind.
With these considerations in mind, here we have compiled some science-backed benefits of early reading for a child.
Read on to learn why Book reading is important for children.
(1) Better Command On Language Skills
Books open a child’s mind to a whole new world of words. Reading in the early years is crucial as a kid develops an understanding of many new words and phrases that he cannot otherwise.
Moreover, children who read books have more grip on language skills. For instance, they naturally tend to guess which word is best in a particular situation to help people understand their point better.
Reading books makes kids well-spoken, and they know how to survive a rough conversation.
(2) Contribution To Cognitive Development
Another reason kids need books is that they boost a child’s cognitive development process. Research shows that kids who spend some time reading books daily have prominent problem-solving and decision-making skills.
Reading helps children to have an understanding of their surroundings by relating to the stories. Reading different situations in books, they develop a better sense of what they see, hear and feel.
(3) Enhanced Imagination and Creativity
What does a book actually do to our minds?
When reading, kids start visualizing the environment and picturing the characters. It stimulates kids’ imagination and makes them guess what will happen in the following scenes as the story unfolds. By doing so, their imagination power becomes strong.
Furthermore, books create questions in their minds and provide answers as well. In this way, books raise a kid with a creative mind with a vast ability to imagine things.
(4) Increased Focus
In the age of technology and gadgets, focus management is a hard skill to learn.
Making your kids sit for a while is really an effort. But when they are reading, the stories and tales in the book make them occupied.
This activity of focusing on the book makes them good at concentration and even discipline. We can say it is one of the significant effects of reading on child development.
Moreover, reading books helps them to take one task at a time and put their maximum effort into it.
(5) Success In The Classroom
Did you know children reading books do better all the way through school than those who don’t? Yes, studies show that the more words a kid knows, the more chances are for success in school.
When reading, kids develop a habit of guessing the meaning of each word based on the scenes. Also, they start getting a vast amount of information and knowledge on various topics. This knowledge helps them in acing school years better.
So we can say that kids who read are ahead of the children in academics that don’t read.
(6) Improved Writing Skills
Writing goes hand in hand with reading. A great writer once was a passionate reader.
If your kid has a strong habit of reading, it will help them have creative writing skills. Not necessarily, they’ll write a book or a novel, but at least this skill helps them to be good at writing their academic works and assignments.
(7) Expressing Emotions and Feelings
According to psychology, a well-developed personality can explain their needs and expectations to the people around them.
So here we get another reason reading is essential for a child. When kids read books, they learn an ocean of new words. The words by which they can explain each of their emotions and feelings.
And this is the main reason a child with reading habits becomes a happy and well-groomed personality in the future.
(8) Possessing Good Social Skills
As your child ages, the most critical skill they need is social intelligence.
However, research finds that if you want to make your kid socially active, reading books to them can play a vital role. Because when a child is reading or listening to a story, they can better understand the situations and act in real life accordingly.
Likewise, a kid who reads builds stronger and healthy relationships with their loved ones and has a powerful connection.
(9) Gives Them Self Awareness
Here lies the exact answer to the question: why do kids need books?
We know that building self-esteem is crucial in making a child’s personality healthy at an early age. And to boost their self-esteem; the first thing that plays a significant role in giving them a sense of self-awareness.
However, books can help them to get to know themselves, their habits, thought patterns, and triggers.
Books give kids time to ponder what they are and what they actually want from their lives.
(10) Books Raise Dreamers
Having dreams is a beautiful thing for a kid as it is for an adult. They motivate them and give them true life meaning.
One of the important facts about reading to your child is when you hand your kids some good books, they start idealizing the characters. Ultimately, they make dreams for their adulthood. And if they have dreams, they will pursue them.
(11) Help Them Cope With Traumas
If your child is suffering from emotional traumas or anxiety, you can always bring a book to calm their fears. Kids feel less scared of an experience if they can relate it to the other kids. And a book can be your best choice to solve this matter.
Books give kids exposure to a new world and new happenings that help them accept various things in life.
(12) Develop Moral Virtues
No doubt, parents can make their children ethically and morally sound in a better way. But books also have a part in giving a kid a set of values.
Kids always have the most favorite and the least favorite characters in a story. These characters always have some ethical values. In this way, kids start adopting the moral values of their favorite character and avoiding the ethics of their least favorite character.
(13) Better Understanding Of Others
Another reason why books are important for a child’s development is that kids who read have a better understanding of emotions than kids who don’t.
When a child has a book in his hands, he is immersed in the world of characters, their problems, reactions, emotions, and feelings. Children develop a sense of understanding by identifying different emotions. That’s why reading also helps kids in their social development.
(14) Prepare Them For The Life Ahead
In light of the above points, we know a reader child has the power to face difficult things better than the other kids. They are socially and emotionally groomed. As a result, they are better equipped to deal with the challenges society will bring into their life.
Conclusion
Now that we know why kids need books, we can’t deny their importance in a child’s development. However, as a parent, you can introduce your little one to great books with their favorite genres. As a result, they can develop a habit of reading consistently and become passionate readers.