Why books have a positive impact on our kids

Reading aloud can be one of the most important activities that you can do with your child as it builds motivation, curiosity and even memory.

It is one of those periods in their life where you can directly impact their ability to deal with stress or anxiety, develop attributes such as patience and problem solving, and encourage a love of learning.

You also get to take them to places and times that they have never been to. You can share your imagination and help them develop theirs. It is a moment to connect; and think about this - simply hearing your voice and identifying it with positive, creative or instructive tones can help cement a solid and long lasting healthy relationship of respect between you and your child too.

Interactivity is essential to getting the most out of these sessions; having a child repeat back words or sentences will help develop confidence, plus, will enlarge and enhance their vocabulary. It's also an awesome opportunity to learn from your child and gain a better understanding of their little characters, preferences and attitudes.

Unfortunately, despite our advantages of access to books (both online eBooks, traditional printed books or audio content) several US-based surveys show that less than half of all parents are reading with their kids daily, and less then 10 percent read to their child from infancy. 

Remember though - it's not too late to start reading to your child.

What happens during the first few years will set the stage for the rest of a child's life. It is a time when a child's experiences irreversibly affect how the brain develops - for better or worse. As a parent, an older sibling or an influential adult in the life of a child, please take the opportunity, whenever you can and read with the them and be the conduit that lets books be a positive impact on their lives!