“Reading should not be presented to children as a chore, a duty. It should be offered as a gift.” –Kate DiCamillo
Here’s a daunting fact: the way a person’s brain is educated as a child permanently alters their cognition for the entire rest of their lives. While writing this, that seems to me to be a monumental responsibility as a parent. It is—but it is much less scary than you might think.
Here’s a second, more encouraging fact: Your child can develop many different cognitive functions at the exact same time and might actually enjoy doing it.
Just by reading a book.
Maybe mandatory reading at school ruined reading for your child. Maybe it’s ruined it for you, too.
But like the quote above says, reading is a gift. Not only is it meant to be entertaining, but reading is also immensely powerful in molding a child’s brain to be thoughtful and intelligent. In an age where kids have access to iPads and phones designed to numb our brains, encouraging a reading habit in your child could change their life.
That’s a nice sentiment, but what are the facts? How does reading actually improve a child’s cognitive development?
1. Language Skills
Even if it’s a simple picture book, reading introduces kids to hundreds of thousands of new words. Not only are these words added to their vocabulary, but seeing the words visually teaches them spelling, and reading full sentences familiarizes them with proper grammar. It also trains their minds to absorb new words and meanings faster throughout their education, helping eliminate any potential roadblocks in English classes.
2. Critical Thinking
The value reading comprehension has on critical thinking in all areas of life is vastly underrated. Whether it’s reading a textbook that teaches logic skills or a storybook, reading trains our children to think complexly about scenarios in all aspects of life.
3. Empathy
Reading stories gives kids the opportunity to walk in others’ shoes. As they read about characters interacting with each other and growing, the child develops empathy and emotional awareness that will apply to real life. Social consequences play out on the page to teach children lessons about relationships with both their peers and parents. If you read with your child, this also fosters your relationship with them. Insightful conversations can open up and allow you to advise your child. For example, if a character in a book is bullied, that is an opportunity to talk about bullying with your child so they can be better prepared if a similar situation were to happen to them.
The impact of reading is incredible, even if your child doesn’t know how to read. Babies, toddlers and young children still learning to read benefit even from being read to.
Do you know the difference it makes if you read just one book a day to your child?
290,000 words.
After years of research, that’s the number that experts in cognitive psychology have come up with. When you compare kindergarteners who were read a book a day with the children who weren’t, 290,000 words is the difference. Just one book a day teaches your child that many words on average, giving them a monumental advantage in their education.
Even if your child doesn’t turn out to be a big reader as they grow older, books still fuel their creativity and positively alter who they are as people. It can even give your parenting a boost if you do what my folks did and throw Miss Piggle Wiggle in front of them to convince them to clean their room.
Reading exposes kids to different ways of life: what it’s like to live in other countries, times and socioeconomic status. It teaches them the consequences of cruelty and the benefits of kindness. They can learn about history, science and culture through stories written for their age group. Reading is powerful. It will shape who your child is for the rest of their lives.
Bethany Brewer is an Orlando-based creative writer and an editorial intern at Connecting Mothers Initiative. She has a B.A. in English from the University of Central Florida and uses it to write blogs, short stories, and video game scripts.
Comments