Explore the Wonders of Reading: Unlock Your Child's Imagination

Reading is like walking into an imaginary world with new characters, feelings, and ideas. The more you read, the deeper you dive into this other world. Your imagination and emotions are engaged. It’s not a passive activity like watching the video, but rather your mind is active, subconsciously predicting what’s to come and developing opinions about the characters. And that’s why it is a perfect activity for kids. The imaginations of young children are so open and ready for stimulation and books are a perfect way to engage them at every age. It builds skills that keep on giving all the way through high school, college, and eventually careers.

Here are five ways reading can help your child’s development:

1. It enriches their imagination, which children are already in most of the time. Or haven’t you noticed that your little one is probably not actually the king of the leaf pile in the backyard? It invites them to be part of a world with characters, ideas, and feelings they wouldn’t otherwise experience. It’s like mental traveling.

2. It teaches them about the world - its people, animals, cities. Since they are still limited in their experience of what’s out there, it’s a great way to show them. And later, they will see it themselves - the culture they read about, the food. Books offer a means of igniting interests and when your child grows up, don’t be surprised that they want to visit London because reading Madeline engaged their sense of wonder.

3. It grows their attention span. Left alone, most children are like butterflies, flitting from one toy or activity to the next. As they get older, learning and eventually working will require them to focus their attention on one thing, and reading a book helps them practice that.

4. It empowers them. When you read to your child, point at the characters and objects in the book. Ask them what they think is going to happen to the rabbit or why the owl is on a tree branch during the day. Children love hearing books read to them over and over because they feel mastery over the story. And that’s great for their self-confidence and memory.

5. It keeps them still and quiet! Which, we all know, is rare and precious indeed. It could be a bonding moment with you every night. You can create a cozy reading nook in your house just for them, which could double as a calm down area that gives them privacy.

Read to your child every day before bedtime. It’s a great way to:

• Calm them down

• Engage their imagination regularly

• Enrich their cognitive skills of understanding and following a story

• Raise their socio-emotional awareness by allowing them to feel for a character or a situation

• Make them book-lovers