15 Reasons Why You Should Read Aloud to Young Kids
The partner and I love to read (although we differ in genre preferences) so it was not surprising why we instilled our daughter’s love for reading early on. She was about six months old when we reading to her and, boy, were we in for a surprise.
Not quite convinced? Here are our proven reasons why being able to read aloud to young kids can be very beneficial:
1) Reading enhances their memory.
Most of the books we read aloud had a rhymes in them. Reading aloud just makes the rhythm of the stories even more obvious. When our daughter started to talk, we were amazed to find out how much she remembers from her books. Those stories, by the way, were read to her at least twice a week for the next six months (and counting).
2) Reading widens their vocabulary.
Cavort in a bog?* I’m pretty sure these words do not make it into regular conversation at all. Some books surprise us with their big words (yes, even for adults) but more so when our daughter retains them and uses it at home. (English is not our first language, FYI.)
3) It improves their reading skills.
Our daughter’s first board book was Dr. Seuss’ ABC*, which I believe was the reason why she was able to recognize all her letters at 18 months or so. And that was natural learning, no coercion, no spoon-feeding – just plain reading aloud.
4) It introduces them to new worlds.
Aside from its rhymes, another reason why we love Dr. Seuss books is that his books are full of eccentric characters whose names can be a little hard on the tongue but are perfect for beginning readers. If you’re not yet familiar with it, try reading There’s A Wocket in My Pocket* – it’s our new favorite!
5) Reading encourages their imagination.
A bird that comes out of the book and flies and sings into the night. I chose The House in the Night* particularly for its beautiful illustrations, helping encourage children to not be scared of the night and the dark. The book is also a Caldecott Awardee.
6) It teaches proper pronunciation, diction and enunciation.
How else would you be able to learn the proper pronunciation of words without reading it aloud? I’m sure many of us bookworms become surprised to find out certain words are pronounce differently than how we had read them in our minds.
7) It makes them feel more secure.
Reading aloud to young kids often come with cuddles and hugs. What else is more beautiful than being able to end each day that way? Guess How Much I Love You is a recommended bedtime story that you could end with lots of hugs and kisses.
8) It fosters a loving and caring environment.
Being able to read aloud to your kids simply sends them the message that you are and will always be there for them no matter what. Plus, when books talk about love and hugs and kisses, we share that as we read the story, too.
9) It provides a great bonding experience.
When the partner and I are both at home, reading sessions with our daughter often happen more than once every day. These short moments encourage parents to drop everything at least for a while and focus more on reading as a family. The partner and I also take turns in reading and I am often amazed at the different voices I use (which I’m sure I’ll never let anyone else hear.)
10) It teaches things beyond reading.
Reading aloud to our daughter has proven itself very effective in teaching number recognition and counting*, fine motor skills*, texture*, shapes* and color* recognition, among many others. Recognizing body parts* and singing and dancing* are also part of the learning process.
11) It shows them stories in greater detail.
We are still far from being able to read aloud lengthy chapter books with our toddler but I know for a fact how much more detailed a story can be in the book than in the movie. I mean, how else can you compress the longest Harry Potter book* of 870 pages to just 138 minutes, making it the second shortest film in the entire franchise.
12) It gives them a new pastime.
If you would rather have your kids stay away from the digital world, then introduce them to books as early as possible. The daughter can be left with books for a few minutes at a time (toddler attention span is still really short) – just enough to allow us to finish a few chores at home or to wrap up a blog post.
13) It allows the family to share a common passion.
We started reading aloud to our daughter as early as we could because we made sure to instill that love for reading in her, since we are also book lovers ourselves. If you, your spouse or both of you are not to keen on the written word then perhaps you could start it out now – together with your kid!
14) It encourages them to seek for greater knowledge.
The biggest advantage when you start to read aloud to young kids? It opens up doors for them leading them to even greater knowledge. Eventually, your kids will start reading things that will interest them and there will be no need to force them to learn things because they will be the one to seek just that.
15) One more thing…
I was stumped on a 15th reason when I realized: reading helps you learn a new language! We are not native English speakers (although it’s an official language here in the Philippines) and reading has been a great way to encourage our daughter to speak English without having to coerce her into learning her words.
How else has reading aloud helped your kids?
About the Author
Pam is an outdoors-loving millennial momma who loves to hike, trek and camp in the beaches and mountains with her partner and their 3-year-old daughter. When not exploring the great outdoors, she moonlights as a freelance writer specializing in the travel, parenting, personal finance and digital marketing niches. You can also follow her via social media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest!
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very nice post! reading widens one’s horizon! 🙂
Reading is knowledge. tapos. hihi
but seriously, any parents should expose their kids to reading and this article can help a lot in convincing parents why they should 🙂
I agree, reading definitely makes children smarter and more confident. My son is turning 9 this July, and he is more into almanacs and K-zone magazines, so I make sure these reading materials are available for him whenever he wants to read. We also brought down our old Harry Potter books so that he can start reading them, too.
Absolutely, all the reasons are very right! I remember, I read a science book with my son and we complete it in just one sit.
I agree with all those reasons! I read aloud to my kids every chance I get and I believe it helped them form a love for reading. 🙂
At 3 my son is able to read almost anything but we still love reading aloud with him!
There are indeed so many benefits when reading to children, especially starting early. Lately, we haven’t been doing any reading. Oh no. Must get back to it. 🙂
Thank you for the link party! 🙂 You have a wonderful list. I love reading to my children because I feel that it’s my way of connecting with them emotionally and mentally. They also get to enjoy different stories. Good job mommy!
Thank you. I hope you could join the party 🙂
reading aloud to my son is one of my most favorite mum-and-son bonding activity + i am more delighted that he enjoys it too. i just hope we can do it more often now as he develops a number of other preoccupations as he grows older.
I love this blog entry that I found myself guilty of not being able to read books to my kids like my parents did when i was little. Binibilhan ko sila ng books but not those bedtime books though. Blame it on technology siguro. But I would have to agree with almost every single thing you mentioned.
I really should read more to my little ones aside from playing. All play kasi kami! But I agree with the pros of reading out loud talaga. I loved reading when I was little and it helped my imagination (I was a fun little kid!) and my speech.
I agree- reading is an adventure for kids and adults alike. I am glad my mom and uncles surrounded me with nice books at an early age which thought me the value of knowledge.
“But not the hippopotamus”! My son was so in love with that book. Tagal namin mag-graduate kay Sandra Boynton! Whenever we ask him to choose a book for our bedtime reading session, he would always choose “Opposites”! Reading aloud to our children has so many benefits. One of our favorite read aloud book is Kristine Canon’s “Si Pilong Patago-tago”. Sarap pakinggan kapag sinasabi ni kulit ang “Bulaga!” Thanks for sharing!
Books really does wonders. I’m not much of a reader, but i still hope to instill this habit to my kid.
Those are all so true. My baby loves it when we read to her. Sometimes she would let me read a page then she will bring the book to her Papa, and then back to me, haha. She wants both of us to read to her, so cute.
I am starting pa lang to read books with my son every night. But in his study time I am teaching him how to read. Thanks for sharing this post 🙂
You’re welcome. Thank you for dropping by, Mommy Anna. 🙂
Ui can I join, Pam? My son and I love reading books but I’m guilty but lately, I’m alway either too tired or too sleepy to read him a book huhu. One of the reasons why I love reading him books is that he begins to associate books with bonding, fun, and love.
The love for learning really starts at home. It is our responsibility as parents to help and guide our children to a path of love for knowledge.
This is very true. I love reading aloud to my kids. Tapos nakkita ko pa na very attentive sila. Nakakaengganyo lalo. Best actress pa naman ako. hehe
I agree Mommy Ruth. I’m not exactly best actress but I do animate my voice which is amusing, even to myself. Hahaha 🙂
I think most of these my parents did to me when I was young, hence my love for words when I grew up! It was mandatory for me to read the Bible (kids’ version) many times a week, though, but I seriously learned a lot from it. I couldn’t thank my parents enough for training me to grow up with love for words and books. 🙂 I suggest every parent to read this article – it’s very informative!
I agree that reading improves your child’s intellect. Sad that kids nowadays are more into techie stuffs and gadgets over books. Parents should make a conscious effort to entice their kids to read.
Reading really does so many things to our little ones. We’re also reading books to our baby boy aloud.
Reading to your children is one of the most important things that you can give to them. Until now, my son and I still read before going to bed. I am very happy from what he gains from it as he also learns how to pronounce words properly 🙂
I am always a believer that the earlier you introduce your kid to reading, the more he or she will learn to love it. i agree that although we sometimes do silent reading as an activity, it’s also equally important to read out aloud.
True. My daughter can’t do silent reading yet (or read beyond her letters and numbers) but we will probably have more of that when she gets older. Right now, read aloud sessions are really fun. 🙂
Reading has a lot of benefits. This is really more beneficial than using gadgets. We are teaching my daughter to appreciate books that’s why we are also starting a collection.
PS, I was able to buy a 2nd hand Dr. Seuss book from book for less, may iba ka pa ba marecommend mommy where can i buy their collection? Thanks!
Some of our Dr. Seuss books were gifted while others I brought though The Book Depository and Amazon. Not exactly the cheapest (except for Amazon – but you’d have to fill a box if you want the best value for your money). The other weekend, my partner saw a small, hardbound Dr. Seuss book at NBS for around 100-200php (I forgot) and I was amazed at the price. They’re hard to come by.
I love your post mommy! 🙂
Nakakatuwa kasi I just posted something about reading books to my daughter. 😉
I saw that too and visited your post right away. You have a great collection there. Here’s to more books for our children! 🙂
Thanks for sharing this linky! I love your post. As a middle school teacher, I certainly can tell which children have been read to from a young age and encouraged in their reading.
Thank you for dropping by, Sarah.
I have a 10-year-old niece who was not really encouraged to read when she was much younger. It gets really hard to tell her to try to open her books, even for a home reading report for school.