childhood development

Benefits of Reading

Many of my childhood memories revolve around the trips I took to magical worlds and alternate realities whenever I read a book. There were so many places to be explored through my imagination-- the choices were limitless. I think many people from my generation share similar sentiments. Unlike many children today, the youth during my childhood years weren’t glued to the computer or handheld consoles. Nor were they gobbling up mindless cartoon characters’ unintelligible comments on TV. Most of us were either enjoying activities under the sun or were in a corner, taking part in the adventures written in the books we were reading.

Because of the advent and society’s general acceptance of technology in all facets of our lives, reading books has now been replaced with more modern past times or games. Sadly, due to this occurrence, a lot of kids today are missing out on the benefits reading has on child development. Discussed further are some of these advantages, written in the hope that one day reading books will regain its top spot in the list of what children should be doing in their spare time.

The most apparent advantage of reading is that it aids in the improvement of language skills. When children read, they learn and pick up on new vocabulary. This in turn will assist them in deciphering new words easily. Aside from the introduction and familiarization of vocabulary, reading well-written texts provides a model of good grammar and sentence structure. This is a positive effect on child development, as he/she will be able to express himself/herself, both oral and written, in a better manner.

One of the struggles of children today is their increasingly short attention span. This can affect their academic performance and social interaction. Reading is one method to enhance their attentiveness. As reading requires focus for a longer duration and the involvement of brainpower to allow us to understand the whole story, consequently, it trains children to improve their power of concentration.

The impact of reading on a child’s social development may not be as well known as it should. Through different texts, children are introduced to numerous social situations, people from diverse ethnic and economic backgrounds, and cultures from all over the world. This educates them about matters they normally may not encounter. Further, it builds their empathy, tolerance, and emotional sensitivity towards difference.

Scientific research has proven the rewards of reading on child development. But it is up to us to encourage the children of today to put down the gaming console for a more intelligent hobby - reading.