How often do you have story time with your kids?

I recall reading to our kids right from when they were a little over 1 year in age.

Many of you might wonder what benefit is there in reading to a 1 year old. At that age, they have little command on language and why would reading a book to them even matter?

Babies as young as a few weeks old have already developed cognitive skills. A child which is around 3 months old is already responding to sounds and voices around them. So by reading to your 1 year old you are developing a very special emotional bond with your child and helping your childs brain grow

Reading together builds a bond between parent and child

There is nothing better than cuddling together, reading and experiencing a story book. Spending quality time with one another, reading and talking, brings parents closer to children.

This is one of the best and direct ways for busy parents to stay closely bonded with their children. As a side benefit, its a great way to wind down and relax at the end of the day

Story time helps children learn to pay attention

Concentration and paying attention are skills your child is going to use for their life. More so, even as children grow up, those who read or are read to learn to sit still and are able to focus their attention better. Those who read tend to have longer attention spans and are found to have a stronger ability to concentrate & stay focused.

Listening to stories feeds children’s imagination

Reading a story book boosts kids creativity. It beats watching TV any day. Every word phrase and sentence helps them paint a picture in their heads. This is a phenomenal developmental exercise for their brain

Story time introduces kids to new characters and topics

Each book opens up a new subject for kids to learn and think about. When reading to them, just don’t simply read. Animate the story as much as you can. Engage the child. Seeing the excitement on a child’s eyes when they know what is going to be on the next page, or having them guess what is going to happen is one of the most amazing things to experience.

Reading helps develop empathy

Reading is such immersive experience. The child can put himself into the story and begins to identify with the characters. They begin to feel the story and live it just like the characters. While this is great for imagination, it helps kids understand and being to develop empathy.

Read with your child at least 2 times a week

We strongly recommend that parents and children read together at least 2 times a week for 20 minutes each. Whether you read to your child or whether the child reads to you – its the togetherness that is most important to your child’s development. Remember what Dr. Seuss says

“The more that you read, the more you will know. The more that you know, the more places you will go”