5 Amazing Benefits of Reading Out Loud To Children

I have heard some people say, ‘oh she is a natural’, when they see or listen to a child reading so effortlessly. But the truth is that few people, if any are, born with the natural gift of effective reading.

Activities like reading, writing and comprehension are matters that are systematically cultivated over time, until one becomes proficient in it. Therefore, if you want your child to be one of those whose reading ability is admired by all, start reading aloud to them every day, starting from today.

Giving children books to read is praiseworthy. But then you do not have to wait for your children to start reading before you start reading aloud to them.

Research has shown that there is a huge difference between just reading and reading aloud. When you read aloud to children who are not yet of school age, the area of their brain responsible for comprehension and imagination becomes very stimulated. As a result, their ability to recognize word patterns is enhanced.

Here are four amazing benefits of reading out loud to children.

1. VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT

Studies into how our brain functions are revealing interesting findings. For example, it is now known that the brain of children who are at the developmental stage needs to be exercised regularly or their functions or abilities may be lost forever.

Also when children are exposed to a wide variety of words through reading aloud to them, they will acquire more words with which to express their feelings and describe their environment and world.

2. MORAL LESSONS

One great benefit of reading aloud to your children is the opportunity of discussing the lessons in each book. Parents are significant in the lives of their children. Children, therefore, take note when their parents discuss the morals of a story with them. Nothing beats the benefit of reading a story aloud, pausing where necessary to explain some points, and also answering some question

Reading aloud as a family allows parents to point out salient moral lessons to their children. It provides a fantastic opportunity for them to learn the dos and don’ts of their society. In the olden days, the oral storytelling tradition was one of the major ways of socialization. In those days, children sat around an adult member of the family who narrated stories aloud and discuss the lessons with them afterwards.

3. EXPANDS THE CHILD’S IMAGINATION

The world is vast and wild. Even if you have the money and the time you will find it difficult to go round every village, community, town, city and country in the world and experience their ways of life.

But with books, you can. There is a book on every subject, people and country. In fact books are the most effective time machine today. A good book can transport you to a different period where you can experience life with people and societies of a different era.

Therefore, as you read aloud to your children, their imaginations are stimulated as they start to visualize the events in the book. Not only are the children able to experience situations outside their present immediate environment, they can also experience the past and even the future. This will certainly expand their imagination beyond what they see and feel in their immediate environment.

4. GOOD COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Books are a great repository of words. We as individual family units are limited somehow by the number of words we use in our everyday communication.

But when you form the habit of reading aloud to your children, they will come across many words that aren’t organic parts of the vocabulary used at home. By explaining these words to them, they acquire new vocabulary and are better able to express themselves in conversation with others.

In conclusion, reading aloud is a fantastic activity for children. Parents can start with this list of the 50 best read-aloud stories and books for kids.