5 Amazing Benefits of Reading Aloud to your Children
Children usually start their reading journey by being read to. They not only enjoy the bonding experience and the way adults can bring their favourite books to life, but reap the rewards in many other ways too.
From developing their cognitive abilities to increasing attention spans, here’s 5 amazing benefits.
1. It boosts attention spans
In this digital age we now live in, attention spans in children are reducing. Having the ability to play games, watch videos, communicate with friends and learn new things all at their fingertips can be harmful.
Whilst the internet can be a great learning resource, it also provides the ability to see and do things in an instant, meaning attention spans can be damaged. This is where books come in, as youngsters must be patient to make it through and find out what happens in the end.
This less instant unfolding of events compels children to listen and stay engaged. Regular reading aloud is therefore a great way to instill more patience.
2. It helps to develop emotions and empathy
When reading aloud, adults are able to express a whole host of emotions, conveying how characters are feeling. Hearing this, children are able to associate certain situations with emotions and empathy.
Books are ideal for showing youngsters a range of problems and situations that they may have to deal with themselves in later life. By hearing about how characters overcome challenges and find solutions, children become more in tune and emotionally aware of every day scenarios.
As characters navigate through different situations, reading aloud enables children to hear a range of emotions from fear and sadness to happiness and surprise. This helps them to further understand how these emotions can be applied to real life situations, further developing their emotional intelligence.
3. It boosts conversational skills
Being able to hear how conversations in books play out improves a youngster’s communication skills. The dialogue in books, when read aloud, helps to develop expressive skills, demonstrating how intonation and conversation works.
This in turn also develops their fluency skills as they hear characters interact using different words and expressions. If your child is old enough, taking it in turns to read each character’s lines can be a great way to develop expressive conversation skills.
4. It strengthens cognitive ability
When exposed to good literature, children not only expand their vocabularies but develop their understanding of language and how it is used. Sophisticated language in books will enable youngsters to learn how to piece together words, sentences and paragraphs. Not only helping their reading and comprehension but also developing their cognitive ability for when it comes to writing.
Listening to a book being read aloud also helps children to absorb information faster, further developing their academic brain.
5. Enjoyment
Being read to as a child is one of life’s great experiences. As adults, we go on to treasure these memories with our parents, recalling favourite books with a great fondness. By reading to your children, you too are providing that sense of joy.
Here’s a few books we recommend, ideal for reading aloud:
The World of Peter Rabbit, by Beatrix Potter
Elmer the Elephant, by David Makee
If you have any other recommendations for reading aloud, be sure to let us know on social media so we can share them! Find us on Instagram or Facebook.
Happy reading!