Why Reading Is Important For Children

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” -Dr. Suess

“I can’t find the words to express how beautiful the sunset is!” Reader, you’d agree at least once in your lifetime you would have uttered these words. Words help us find ourselves, words help us share moments that are incredible. Which is why books are the most beautiful companion for a child.

Our realities, post the COVID-19 era, have been confined to our homes, and now more than ever, your children could use some quality time with reading.

Reading good books go a long way

Apart from the poetic beauty of words, reading also helps us learn & communicate effectively. Reading helps us to think critically and articulate feelings with ease, also exposing a child to far off cultures, history and pure imagination! To begin, let’s see how reading benefits children exponentially in day-to-day life.

• Better cognitive skills
• Improved vocabulary
• Better academic success
• Better attention span
• Patience
• Increased discipline
• Love for reading

Avid readers live in an alternate reality

When you read incessantly, your world is beautiful. Children who read a lot tend to possess a lot of creativity, empathy and patience in general. They tend to be able to cope with stress better. Introduce your favourite books to your children and allow them to transport themselves to faraway places, introduce them to characters they would adore but never meet, adventures they could embark on, and the exhilaration of living in a fantasy world for a few hours.

Love for reading, love for words

Children who read a lot tend to hold interest for words and the art of articulating more than a non-reader. Words become interesting and they seek nuance in the words they use every day. Along with reading, children also develop a keen interest for words and communication. Raise the bar and raise kids that love to read!

Cultivate the joy of reading

The best way to guide your children through reading ‘books that nurture them’ is to buy them age-appropriate books that allows them to grow up happily in the literary world of fiction and facts. Now, wouldn’t it be a great memory to revisit, flipping through the pages of Gulliver’s Travels as a child?

Here are some picks to start with for kids from age 2 to 13. Choose a book for your kids and then buy them some more!

The earlier they start, the better.

For children between ages 2 and 4

• Corduroy by Don Freeman
• The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
• The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
• The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss
• Own Moon by Jane Yolen
• Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by James Dean

For children between ages 5 and 8

• Where the wild things are by Maurice Sendak
• Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish
• Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary
• Where the sidewalk ends by Shel Silverstein
• Harold and the purple crayon by Crockett Johnson
• Make way for ducklings by Robert McCloskey

For children between ages 9 and 13

• Harry Potter & the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
• Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
• Holes by Louis Sachar
• Matilda by Roald Dahl
• The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein

Reading books gives us an unparalleled feeling of freedom and serenity. Nothing compares to flying a broom with Harry Potter and the gang, does it? Nurture your children to grow up with your favourite fictional characters just as much as they do with children from the real world. Show them the way towards a happy childhood!