A child that reads books can be transported to another time, become another person and experience things that are impossible to experience in real life. Reading doesn't come easy to all children. According to the Michigan department of education, 10 to 15 percent of children who have difficulties learning to read will drop out of school; only 2 percent complete a four-year college program. If your child is showing signs of reading difficulty, you can intervene at an early age by reading to him every day. Early exposure to books and hearing the English language is the best way to help your child learn to read.
Language Development
Being able to communicate is an important part of your child's development. When speech is delayed or is not easy to understand, it becomes a barrier to learning other skills that are needed during that stage of development. Intervening during the early years by reading to a child will assist in the development of language skills. When young children listen to their parents read to them, they may not understand what is being said but they become more familiar to what language sounds like. Babies and toddlers will be able to see pictures of objects that are in their world and have an opportunity to hear the words that go along with those objects, long before they are able to ask how to say these words.
School Preparedness
Reading intervention should take place before children hit school age. When you teach your child how to sit still and listen to a story, you are developing the most important skill he needs to succeed during his early childhood education. Reading to your baby or toddler trains him to sit still and listen when someone is talking to him. It is hard for children to focus on lessons in school if they are still struggling to read the information that they are expected to learn. According to the Michigan Department of Education, 75 percent of children who are poor readers and who are not helped prior to age 9, will continue to have reading difficulties through high school.
Setting a Routine
Children thrive by having a routine. Reading intervention should occur at the same time each day so that it becomes a routine and your child will be expecting it. Reading before bedtime will ease your child into a calm disposition and let her know it is time to go to sleep.
A Chance to Focus on Your Child
In order for reading intervention to be successful, a parent needs to know what specific skills the child is struggling with. Reading time is an opportunity for parents to focus on their child and put all of life's distractions aside. Your child gets to be held close to you, listen to your voice make soothing sounds and it becomes a great bonding time. This one-on-one time is a chance for you to make reading time a positive and helpful experience.
