by Alisha Link

Created on: December 22, 2008   Last Updated: January 16, 2009

It is common knowledge in the United States that reading aloud to our children is beneficial. Parents are even told by their children's pediatricians to read to them from basically the time of birth until the time when children are capable of reading on their own. The most common reason for reading to children is to help them with their language and reading skills, but there is much more to it than that.

Let's start with the basics. Most people already know that reading aloud to children helps them become better readers and nutures their love of reading and books, but it is also key component to language development. Reading to children not only teaches them language skills like sentence structure and enunciation, but at the very basic level it helps them learn to speak. Every time you open a book and read aloud to a child, you are teaching them countless vocabulary words to add to their ever expanding repertoire.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, reading aloud to your child improves their listening skills and memory functions, as well as fosters creativity. In addition, according to ScienceDaily letting children describe the pictures in books, explain the meanings of stories, and encouraging the children to ask questions and talk about the story will improve not only their social skills, but also their understanding of the world.

Reading aloud also gives children a time to bond with parents and gives them confidence in their reading abilities. A child that reads at home on a regular basis is twice as likely to read aloud at school. Reading together also lets children experience an increased communication with parents.

The most overlooked aspect of reading is that it can be fun. Babies love to touch their storybooks with downy soft lambs and cotton filled clouds. Toddlers love pop-up books, and books that have them follow along with songs and noises to go along with the story. Older children love to take trips to the library to pick out books that interest them and they will read and learn about the things they love.

The bottom line here is that it is imperative that we read aloud to our children. Even if it's only for 15 minutes, it will be worth it. Listening to your child read to you for the first time is a wonderful feeling, and knowing that you had a part in it is even greater. So turn off the tv and laptop, forget about the housework, and snuggle up to a good book with your child instead!

Learn more about this author, Alisha Link.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.