All parents want to raise future superstars out of their kids, don’t they? But apart from all the fancy classes you’re thinking about signing them up for in the future to make them smart, there’s a thing you can do as soon as your child is born: READING. Reading is one of those things that are inexpensive and simple, yet really help with the development of your child.

In this article, which might seem like a personal story about my son from time to time, you’ll see why reading to your child is important from the day your child is born. Also, I will give you a few tips and tricks to develop the habit of reading for your LO who might love the Smartphone more than storybooks. Let us know in the comments below how you encourage your child to read!

1. Flames Up The Creativity And Imagination

It is scientifically proven that reading provokes children’s brain to get creative and sparks the imagination. I have read to my son since he was a newborn and wondered how much he understood. I used to read him anything that I could get my hands on, my novels, journals, magazines, newspaper etc. As he grew older and reached the age of 18 months, he started talking and started recreating the book characters with his toys. His brain developed a habit to easily create pictures in his mind of the characters from the books.

Psychologytoday.com explained very vividly in this article from 2010 on how reading is good for the imagination of the kids. This early life imagination will transform into a lifestyle later on. As the article says, almost all great artists have two or three books from their childhood that they claim are responsible for their imagination and creative work.

2. Makes a Curious George Of Your Kid

At the age of two, as my son is, the whole world is an open door. The other day we went for a walk around the neighborhood when my son saw a grand building that looked like the castle from Snow White, so my little one urged to knock on the door and look for Snow White and the dwarfs.

Of course, the building was just a building, but for him, it was a castle and he was so happy that he had discovered that place. He’s now sure that Snow White lives two blocks down the street.

My point is, if you regularly and from an early age read to your child, you’ll create a curiosity monster – a child that loves exploring, learning, and reading. And reading only leads to more reading, right?

The University of Melbourne conducted a study in which among other things, it is proven that reading to children every day at the age of 4-5 will make them smarter for a year. Your child at the age of 5 will be able to read on its own like she’s a 6-year old. As she gets older, the hunger for information will only get bigger.

3. It’s a Cornerstone Of a Rich Vocabulary

If you’re one of those people for whom the first thing they notice in the interaction with another person is the way they express themselves with words, then surely you’ll do everything in your power to make your child able to talk and communicate well.

The learning process in children is directly related with accumulating new information. And what’s a better way to get new information than reading? While reading, parents use a wide variety of words that they don’t always use during the communication with other grown-ups. Children listen to every word even though it looks like they are doing something else. They copy everything, so when parents read to their children even in the earliest ages, they are patiently building rooms in the children’s brain that will later be filled with words.

Repeating the words is like filling up a jar. When the jar is full, it will be placed on the shelves of that room that the parents were building from the very beginning. If no one reads to the child at an early age, it will take much more time to fill that jar.

4. Helps With Concentration

Kids are unstoppable, right? Well, at least my kid is. From the very first moment he wakes up and until he falls asleep, my son is not restful for one second. But, when I or my husband starts reading to him, he stops whatever he’s doing and focuses on the book.

Reading from an early age helps kids concentrate. The narrative voice of the parents is like magic to the brain of the children. Even Liza Baker, the executive editorial director of Scholastic says the exact same thing:

“The sound of your voice, the lyrical quality of the younger [books] are poetic … It’s magical, even at 8 weeks old they focus momentarily, they’re closer to your heart” – says Liza in an interview for The Washington Post.

5. Science Proves Brain Changes With Reading

The American Pediatrics Association published an article in which explains that there is a scientific proof that reading to young children makes changes in their brain. They performed an MRI scan to several kids while the scientists were reading stories. The children that were used to reading and their parents often read to them, had much stronger activity in particular areas of the brain.

These kids’ brain reacted instantly by creating pictures of what they were listening. This proves that their brain functions faster, better, and stronger than the brain of other kids. It also means that they’ll be able to learn faster and be more successful when they grow up.

How To Read To Your Child

When I was a child, I remember times when my father used to read to me before I go to sleep. My dad was a tricky guy. He used to read to me some books about history that he loved. He probably realized that I don’t mind whatever he reads to me as long it is done with a voice pleasant enough for me to fall asleep.

The point is, reading before your child goes to sleep is a beautiful habit. If you start practicing it early, your child will do the same later in life.

But what if your child doesn’t like reading?

Helpful tips on how to read to your child

• This will probably not surprise you – start reading from day one. While the mother is pregnant, the child is able to hear mom and dad talking. Reading aloud after the baby is born will be so normal for the little one that it will most probably enjoy. If you do it every day, you will create a habit, and after a couple of months, reading will be as important as feeding.
• Read different books. I bought around 100 books for my daughter. Around 70 is considered garbage if you ask her. Around 25 of these 30 are considered somewhat okay, and the rest 5 are pure gold. We can read day and night from these books. So, if your child doesn’t like reading, maybe you just haven’t found the right book yet.
• Choose the right time. I mentioned reading before bedtime a few times, but this is not a rule. Some kids like to get in bed without a story and that’s it. Don’t force them to listen to your reading by all means necessary. Try reading in the morning, they might find this part of the day more suitable.
• Show them how it’s done. This is my personal favorite. Kids are monkey see – monkey do and they’ll do everything they see you as a parent do. Grab some of your books and start reading while they play with some toys. It won’t be long and they’ll ask for some space on the sofa to read with you. They’ll probably even cross the legs and hold the arms in the same manner you do.

Some Final Thoughts

Some parents might find the reading to their kids annoying as they won’t be interested in it. The benefit, however, will be visible years later when that sweet little baby turns into a grown human.

It doesn’t really matter what books you read to your child. Of course, children’s literature is better as kids usually respond better to it. Here are my son’s first five storybooks that he simply adored:

1. Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell
2. The little engine that could by Watty Piper
3. My first numbers
4. My first abc
5. Goodnight moon by Margaret Wise Brown

At the very end, remember that a child who loves books will grow up into a smart person – so turn off the screen and get your child a new book. Comment below to let us know how reading early to your child has been helpful!