Why You Should Read To Your Child

As a parent you have many important priorities when it comes to your child. You need to keep your child safe, healthy, and loved. In today’s hectic world, we often spend so much time engaged on those priorities we forget another important area — mental stimulation. As parents we need to engage our children’s minds as well as their bodies in order for them to grow and learn. One of the best ways to achieve this goal is through reading.

There are a number of reasons why you should read to your child. If you are already reading to your child on a daily basis then these reasons should strengthen your resolve and if you are regularly reading to your child they should challenge you to do so:

1. A carefully selected story challenges and engages your child’s mind. Through books your child can not only re-live experiences in their own life but also learn and experience cultures and events far removed from their current scope.

2. Reading out loud demonstrates what good reading sounds like and provides a goal for the child’s literacy efforts. As your child learns to read, he or she will need role models to follow. Shouldn’t you be...