By , ,
Published February 14, 2017
“Richer than I you can never be—
I had a Mother who read to me.”
The poem The Reading Mother by Strickland Gillilan ends with this heartfelt stanza and evokes fond memories for many fortunate people who also were read to as children. However, beyond sentiment and nostalgia, there are compelling reasons for reading aloud to children. This Valentine’s Day, we want kids to fall in love with reading.
Reading aloud to children sets them up for a lifelong love of books and reading. It helps grow their vocabulary and their understanding about the world. The closeness of snuggling up with a favorite book leads to an increase in self-confidence and imagination, and helps children gain a wealth of knowledge from the books you share. And it only takes 15 minutes a day of reading together to nurture this growth.
Research demonstrates that if a child is not reading at grade level by third grade, their ability to meet future academic success and graduate on time are diminished. Teachers know that up to third grade children are learning to read. After third grade, students are reading to learn. It is impossible to be successful in science, social studies, and even mathematics without a strong foundation in reading and literacy.
Setting aside a block of 15 minutes a day to reading together can yield impressive benefits for everyone involved. This practice builds knowledge, increases vocabularies, strengthens family relationships, improves school success, and nurtures a lifelong love for reading.
Here are 7 helpful tips for reading aloud with children:
This Valentine’s Day—and every day—as you help ignite your child’s passion for reading by enjoying a book together, please help capture these special moments of reading aloud with your Valentine by sharing your pictures on social media and tagging your photos with the hashtag #read4luv.
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/dr-seuss-would-you-be-my-valentine