3 Reasons to Read with Your Children

Parents want to do everything they can to give their children all of the opportunities possible in life, though many overlook the simple act of reading with their children to encourage independent thinking. Helping your child develop a love of learning and reading early on can provide them with many lifelong benefits, including:

1. Developing Empathy

When children read or hear stories about characters facing challenges, it strengthens their capacity for empathy. Empathy is an important skill to have, as it can help a child relate to other people and imagine what it would be like to be in another person's shoes. Empathy also plays a part in helping children become more kind and caring about others. 

2. Improving Concentration

Children tend to get easily distracted and struggle to stay focused during certain tasks, but reading can improve their ability to concentrate over time. Improved concentration skills can help kids perform better and be more engagemed at school, and you may even notice an improvement in their ability to follow directions at home. 

3. Learning About Other People and Cultures 

Selecting books that highlight how other people live, work, and play can help your child learn more about different cultures all over the world. This can make them an overall more well-rounded individual, and it can open their minds to other possibilities in their own lives. Getting exposed to new ideas and ways of life from an early age can set your child up to have an open mind and willingness to engage with people who may not look like themselves. 

These are just a few of the dozens of benefits of reading to or with your child, and spending quality time with your child to share a story is something they will take with them for the rest of their lives. 

 Photo by Lina Kivaka from Pexels