Research tells us that it is never to early to begin reading to our children! According to Rasmussen College, the benefits begin even before the child is born.

Reading aloud gives unborn babies the foundation of language.

Babies hear and recognize their mother’s voice during the last 10 weeks of pregnancy. This sets the foundation for language development and helps the baby learn speech patterns.

Reading aloud teaches infants the “basics of books”    

Reading to infants (0 – 12 months) helps babies understand how books work. They learn to hold the book, turn pages, and how to “digest books” sometimes literally! Reading to infants using expressive sounds and different voices build “emotional awareness”. It also helps to point at pictures and touch the books. This helps to develop social skills.

Reading aloud supports basic speaking skills and teaches toddlers about their world

Listening to you read the words of a book teaches your child how to pronounce words. It also promotes “pre-literacy” when your little reader turns the pages and get excited about what comes next. They learn about their world when they answer questions about the pictures like “What’s that?” They learn to identify a car, or a train, or a bunny.

father reading with child

Reading aloud encourages preschoolers to read on their own.

Preschool is the time that children can become very attached to a favorite story. When you read a favorite over and over, the child learns what those letters and words mean. It expands their vocabulary and helps them to identify letters and match them with sounds. Reading aloud to preschoolers also teaches them to value books and reading and they will be more likely to seek out books on their own.

Reading aloud to grade school children increases empathy and develops advanced literacy.

“Reading aloud lets children use their imaginations to explore people, places, times and events beyond their own experiences” according to RIF. This exploration is a key component in developing empathy skills. Grade school students are learning a wider vocabulary and more complex sentence structures. Reading aloud helps them with that transition.

Reading with adolescents introduces new literature and encourages lifelong reading.

It is still important to read with your teenagers. Too many middle school and high school students turn away from reading when “forced” to read literature assignments for school. But while some of these assignments can make reading a chore, the right book can encourage a new interest. When you read aloud to your teen, you can introduce them to new forms of literature such as poetry or a biography in a relaxing and stress-free way. This is also the time that the life-long habit of reading can take hold, be a role model. When your teen sees you reading aloud with them and reading for your own pleasure, it makes a powerful statement.

child reading