Imagine if your child learned to read early and was able to develop fantastic reading skills as he or she grew up. Perhaps it would be a breeze to understand even the difficult topics that need to be studied in high school and college. Maybe it would be easy enough to make sense of letters received in the mail and articles printed in the newspaper. Or another advantage for children is an ability to absorb and comprehend various forms of text quickly, thus allowing them to progress fast in their careers. In asking yourself the question “Why is reading important for children?” it would be of great help for you to look back on your own childhood and reading education and development.

Development of Focus in Communication

One of the biggest reasons that reading is important for children is that it helps in developing their focus in communication. A good reader is able to hone his or her talent to concentrate on the message being given in the text. Hence this is one way that children can also listen better as well as boost their ability to absorb what is being communicated to them.

Improvement of Language Skills

Indeed, reading time and again is one way of improving your language skills. Isn’t it true that there are people who never had the opportunity to go through formal schooling and yet have become eloquent speakers just because they have read so many books and other reading materials in the past? You probably know others as well who are not so fond of reading and thus grew up having a hard time expressing their thoughts, ideas, and feelings through words, whether spoken or written. With these examples, it’s quite easy to conclude that reading plays a big role in helping children enhance language skills and become effective communicators in the future.

Valuable Skill in Utilizing Learning Tools

Reading is also valuable if you want kids to utilize a wide range of learning tools today. For instance, going through books and magazines on a variety of subject areas requires the skill of reading. If a child is exploring the Internet to learn something, it’s essential to know how to read too because most of the information is contained in articles and blogs. Even educational videos have words incorporated in them that you will have to read. There are also a lot of games you can play online that may provide flashed instructions on the screen which you would need to read. No matter how advanced technology continues to become in the future, reading will always remain an essential skill that’s necessary to keep on learning.

Advancement of the Imagination

Although visual stimuli such as pictures and videos along with visual art forms like sculptures and paintings are all ideal in firing up children’s imagination, reading a story will still not compare to these things. This is especially true for books that do not have a lot of pictures, leaving a child to use his or her imagination. Reading stories is one way for kids to explore different worlds beyond reality which they themselves can invent in their minds based on the words given in a storybook. Even in reading magazine articles and news reports, imagination automatically goes into action. The mind is stimulated as well. Hence, children’s heightened ability to imagine can lead to greater creativity. They will have the capacity to think out of the box when coming up with a solution to a problem or when brainstorming ideas at work.

Functional Skill in Everyday Living

Of course, you should definitely consider the big impact of a good reading foundation and reading comprehension skills on a child’s everyday life. Even while these children are young, it already makes a difference that they are able to read the notes left by their parents on the fridge door. It helps a lot that they can read instructions on how to assemble or play with a toy. It is beneficial too that they can read and understand warning signs on certain areas that they may encounter outside of the house. As adults, being able to comprehend the indications and precautions written on a medicine bottle is one important example that shows just how crucial reading skills are. Finding your way around an unfamiliar city will also be easier if you know how to read signs and directions. These are just some concrete scenarios that clearly demonstrate the huge significance of reading in one’s life.

With these amazing advantages brought about by knowing how to read, you should not underestimate the importance of teaching your child to read when it comes to your children’s education. Knowing why reading is important for children counts a lot in how parents and teachers will regard and act on their roles as reading mentors.