Ed Decker, Rewireme.com, wrote the following reasons why reading to a child is so important.
1. “Reading to a child or with a child creates strong human connection. The nurturing aspect of sitting with someone while being read to provides a comforting and bonding experience that transcends mere diversion or education.
2. It establishes associations between pictures and words. Even infants only a few months old are capable of looking at pictures and listening to a voice. Pointing at pictures and describing them contribute to the wiring process that connects images to words and helps a child recognize the importance of language.
3. It builds neural connections through repetition. Reading on a daily basis helps strengthen initially fragile connections among neurons into ones with staying power. If a child wants to hear the same book many nights in a row, hang in there. What’s boring for the storyteller may serve the child’s emotional and learning needs at the time.
4. It fosters imagination. It’s a lot easier to see yourself as a heroic character in an exotic location after meeting characters in books.
5. It helps children make sense of the world. Children’s curiosity is fueled by stories they hear, and these stories expand their vocabulary and knowledge to help them better navigate the world around them and determine how they fit into our world.”
Thank you to Ed Decker and for his insight into the importance of reading to a child.
“A house without books is like a room without windows.” Heinrich Mann
