As long as I can remember our house has always been filled with books. Ever since my son could see far enough to notice pictures, we began to read. Once he was weaned off, Saturday afternoons turned into father-son library trips while mom had time off. They would come back with a huge bag full of books; usually about 20-25. I would read some in the morning, my husband in the evening. We read them over and over – until next Saturday. Then the cycle would start again.
When my son was five, I taught him how to read. He may not have liked it to begin with, but grew into loving it. Even though he was now reading his own books, we still continued reading out loud. My husband, being the avid reader he is, took the lead. We read anything and everything reasonable; every day.
Recently, one of my friends, who happens to be a certified teacher, made an interesting statement after substituting in a kindergarten class: “How are these children expected to learn to read when they are not taught phonics and have never been read to!” I felt an overwhelming sadness knowing there are children in this country who never owned a book, never went to a library, and never curled up on a couch reading or been read to.
There has been so much research done on the importance of reading. Did you know that reading:
- Encourages brain development.
- Expands vocabulary.
- Stimulates imagination and curiosity.
- Improves focus and concentration.
- Advances communication skills.
- Increases analytical skills.
- Leads to future academic success.
- Deepens the understanding of the world.
- Keeps children occupied with a non-electronic activity.
Dr. Ben Carson, a world-renowned neurosurgeon, credits his life’s success to reading. The more he read as a child, the more he wanted to read, and that cultivated his life-long love for learning.
Dr. Carson often mentions the vast number of desperate parents who would approach him with their children’s ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) diagnosis. They questioned him whether it was necessary for their offspring to be submitted to the required medication. He would always ask a couple of questions:
- Can your child watch a movie?
- Can your child play video games?
The answers were always a resounding “yes”. Dr. Carson then assured the parents that their child did not suffer with ADD and showed them a few little steps how to help them increase their attention span:
- Wean them off of the electronics.
- Substitute the electronics with time spent together (parent-child) reading and discussing the books they read.
Often within three months, the families would come back to see Dr. Carson and claim that their child had undergone a remarkable change.
Dr. Carson explains that because the children in our society are, at a very early age, exposed to fast moving pictures and scenarios on the television and computer screens, they lose the ability to focus on slow pace activities. In a school setting a teacher standing in front of a class doesn’t bring a new idea every few seconds and in a flashy way. Therefore, our “wired” children are not able to pay attention as their brains are on a constant “super-zoom.” Their brain activity needs to be brought back down so that they can grasp and digest the material presented. This cannot happen instantly but over time and reading serves this purpose well.
There is never enough that can be said about the importance of reading. It is my encouragement to all of us today and every day – READ! Read to yourself. Read to your children. Make your children read. Let us invest in ourselves and in our children’s future by never giving up on the treasures hidden in books that are so easily accessible to us.
What is your experience with reading and/or reading to your children? Please share with us in the comment section below!
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