Bedtime Reading and Its Role in Child Development

Creating a bedtime reading habit can strengthen the bond between parents and children, and also foster numerous beneficial skills for your child’s future.

Teaching Patience to Your Child

Patience is a valuable life skill that many lack, but fortunately, it can be taught from a young age. By listening to stories read by parents, children learn to be patient. This habit, in the long run, will make your child a good listener, making others feel heard and valued.

Enriching Your Child’s Vocabulary

Reading is not only beneficial for adults but also for children. A study conducted at Rhode Island Hospital in the USA found that babies exposed to reading could absorb vocabulary 40% more effectively compared to 16% in those who were not read to.

Developing Imagination

Reading expands our imagination, naturally awakening your child’s creative thinking. The more stories you read to them, the easier it becomes for them to visualize words and narratives in their minds. This continuous brain exercise enhances a child’s imaginative abilities, making them more creative and open to new ideas.

Teaching Empathy to Children

You might not realize that books and empathy go hand in hand. When children read or are read to, they get the opportunity to see and experience a story from a character’s perspective. This helps them understand what the characters are going through, empathizing with their experiences and emotions.

Encouraging Participation and Improving Conversational Skills

Reading enhances a child’s interaction and communication skills. If your child frequently interrupts you while you’re reading, it’s a good sign. Responding to their questions, explaining things, and connecting events in the story to real-life situations can help. Parents can engage children by asking them how characters might feel or what might happen next.

Teaching Attention Focus

Children, especially younger ones, are easily distracted, so reading to them can teach focus and attention. They need to listen and sit still to understand the story. The benefits include better self-discipline, longer attention spans, and improved memory. These are all useful skills for your child as they grow up.

Inspiring a Love for Reading

By starting your child on reading while they’re young, you’re gradually helping them develop a passion for books and reading. Children who read are likely to spend less time on video games, TV, and other forms of entertainment, even as they grow older.

(Source: Frontline Committee of Bình Phước)