By Jaime Herndon

It’s well established that reading to young children is beneficial, but the positive effects of reading to children last even after they begin to read on their own.

A report from Scholastic states that among children who reported that they enjoyed reading and read regularly, 41 percent of them, ages 6-10, were read aloud to at home. Among infrequent readers, only 13 percent were read to regularly at home. Frequent readers also reported restricted time online, and saw the reading time with parents as special bonding time. Older children, those 12-17, reported that their reading time was primarily determined by whether or not they had reading time during the school day.

While there isn’t research yet on whether continued reading aloud to children improves reading comprehension, the bonding between adult and child is important, and it can help instill a love of reading and reinforce how important reading is. Reading to children of all ages can also expose them to a wide vocabulary and provide knowledge about an array of subjects.

So, just because the days of Goodnight Moon and Eric Carle might be over, it’s still important to read aloud to nieces and nephews, even if they can read independently. Reading aloud a chapter or two of a chapter book is a great way to share some special bonding time with the kids, and reinforces the importance of reading.

If you love to read, what helped develop your love of books?

Photo David Costello Dominici
Published January 14, 2015