Last Updated on August 17, 2023 by alli
I’m an avid reader and have loved to read since I was a teenager. You’ll always find a book (or two) on my bedside table.
Throughout my life, reading has helped me in so many ways. Not only has it educated me, but it’s also allowed me to forget my troubles. When I read, I’m transported from my world (or my reality) and into the world within the pages of my book.
To me, reading is a privilege and a gift that just keeps on giving. It has shaped the person I am today because it’s from reading that my interest in writing and creating was born! This is why, if I could give my daughter one gift, it would be the love of reading.
When a child reads, there is so much for them to gain and as Dr Seuss famously said-
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
The following are 7 ways reading can enrich your daughter’s life:
1. Children who read do better at school
Children who read for pleasure achieve better at school. This is because they gain a greater comprehension of words and better general knowledge. It’s important to understand that reading helps them across the whole curriculum, not just the subject of English.
2. They develop empathy for others
When your daughter is reading and immersed in a story, she starts experiencing the life of the other character. Through this, she gains a greater understanding of emotions by identifying how that character is feeling. When she puts herself in the character’s shoes, she starts to feel empathy for them and their situation. This also benefits her social development. When a child has empathy she is more likely to be a considerate and caring friend. She is also less likely to be a bully.
3. They have a greater concentration
When your daughter reads regularly, it helps her improve her concentration. When a child has good concentration it can help them in other areas such as learning how to sit still, listen for longer periods and stay focused. They can learn and practise how to do all of this simply by reading consistently.
4. They develop a higher level of creativity and imagination
As your daughter reads the descriptions of all the places and characters in her books, her brain starts to translate those descriptions and forms pictures in her mind. Over time, reading helps develop her imagination. She then incorporates her big, beautiful imagination into her everyday play and all her creative activities, such as drawing, painting, and building.
5. They learn more about the world around them
By reading a variety of books your daughter will learn about places, people, and historical events. This is something that she may otherwise never learn if it wasn’t for the love of reading!
6. They gain a larger vocabulary
It’s very simple. By reading regularly your daughter will learn new words all the time and have a much bigger vocabulary.
7. Improved Language and Writing Skills
As your daughter reads she will subconsciously absorb information about how to properly structure sentences and how to use words effectively when writing or speaking. Reading not only stimulates vocabulary building but sharpens and improves writing skills.
How to help your daughter want to read for pleasure.
There are many ways to help build your daughter’s love of reading. Some are:
- Lead by example. If your daughter sees you reading regularly, then she is more likely to want to read too. Remember, you are her role model.
- Never allow reading to feel like a chore. It should always feel like a treat and an enjoyable activity.
- Choose a book that your daughter likes and read a little to her each evening, or (as I do with my daughter), take turns to read a page to each other.
- Buy her books as gifts and ask other family members to do the same. The gift-giver can also write a personal message on the inside cover of the book. This will make the book a meaningful keepsake.
- Next time you are out or travelling, instead of giving her a tablet or smartphone to watch, give her a book.
If you are still on the fence about how important reading is for children… then please keep READING!
Below is a beautiful poem that perfectly describes the magic children experience when they read.
Poem by Jack Prelutsky
I met a dragon face to face the year when I was ten, I took a trip to outer space, I braved a pirate's den, I wrestled with a wicked troll, and fought a great white shark, I trailed a rabbit down a hole, I hunted for a snark. I stowed aboard a submarine, I opened magic doors, I travelled in a time machine, and searched for dinosaurs, I climbed atop a giant's head, I found a pot of gold, I did all this in books I read when I was ten years old.
My favourite quotes about reading.
“The home is the child’s first school, the parent is the child’s first teacher, and reading is the child’s first subject.” -Barbara Bush
“A book is a dream you hold in your hands.” -Neil Gaiman
“Books are the plane, and the train, and the road. They are the destination and the journey. They are home.” -Anna Quindlen
“Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are.” -Mason Cooley
“Anyone who says they have only one life to live must not know how to read a book.” -Author Unknown
To End
Reading is powerful, fulfilling, and rewarding.
As parents, our goal should be to motivate our children to want to read. They will want to read when they enjoy reading. If (or when) this happens you will have yourself a little girl who is shining.
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