Reading stories at bedtime has been a long-standing tradition in most households. It helps your kids fall asleep listening to the sound of your voice and keeps them entertained enough to sit still and settle into bedtime mode. Apart from these precious bonding moments bedtimes stories have many great benefits for your child.
It grows and develops their imagination
Reading narratives stimulates a part of your brain that activates mental imagery and narrative comprehension. For kids these days, tv and videos on the internet makes up a large portion of their entertainment. Therefore, they don’t really need to tap into their imagination much. Reading, however, allows them the chance to make sense of the story on their own and come up with their own understanding and visuals. It sparks imagination and appreciation for stories so that they too can come up with original story ideas.
Language and vocabulary enhancement
Reading is always revered for building vocabulary. The more you read, the more words you learn and understand. For younger kids who are developing speech and language, reading is a great benefit. They learn more and can become more articulate and able to express themselves.
Helps to Build Habit and Routine
Having a bedtime story routine helps children to earn healthy habits and routines. Having a set bedtime routine helps them to learn discipline. It also develops a natural fondness for reading so that as they mature and learn to read on their own, they can carry out their routines independently and enjoy reading as a relaxing way to prepare for bedtime.
Creates Strong Parent-Child Bond
Reading to your child every night is a bonding experience. Snuggling in bed and interacting with each other makes a child feel loved and safe. Acting out stories in silly voices and letting your child play an active role at story time is also great to boost their confidence and imagination. It creates many cherished memories and beloved moments.
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Encourages curiosity and engagement
Kids love to ask questions. There is so much that they don’t know and so much that they want to find out. Reading to your child encourages them to ask questions and develop comprehension skills. Since most bedtime stories have a moral or lesson attached, you can teach your kids more about various topics. It’s not just a fun activity but a great way to educate your child on subjects such as manners, talking to strangers, hygiene and much more.
If you are a parent of a young child, try to instill a bedtime routine. It’s fun, educational and since children are absorbing knowledge at a faster rate in those younger years, it’s the best time to help them learn more language skills. It can also spark an interest in creative writing and help kids with short attention spans to tune in and listen. Tv and video games are cool but the joy of reading is something that expands your mind and opens up a whole new world of knowledge and imagination.
Great advice. It is heartwarming how much you care about our children