The Importance of Story Time

By Guest Contributor Tom Matthews, InTheBook.com

The simple act of reading out loud to a child has been proven to develop much more than knowledge of the topic of the book: it builds confidence with words. Together you are cultivating their social skills, inspiring them to use their imagination and forming the foundations of their learning abilities.

In The Book’s Reading Survey

Using information from Lynn Fielding’s “The 90% Reading Goal,” children’s book publisher, In The Book found that children who are regularly enjoying story time are given a springboard into their education, making them more likely to succeed in future. Notably: Children who read at a second- to eighth-grade reading level in the third grade have a 77% of graduating high school. Those third graders with a kindergarten or first-grade reading level only have a 27% chance. 

In The Bookthen conducted their own survey of a thousand parents of children between the ages of infant to 5, and asked how many of them read for at least 20 minutes a day to their child. The results showed only 18% of parents sit down and read to their children daily. You can find the survey here.

What are the Benefits of Daily Reading?

Reading a simple story at bedtime gives children numerous advantages. Children who are read to regularly develop important communication skills, beginning with basic speech. They also portray a better development of senses, which comes from interacting with the book; for example, seeing illustrations, touching parts of the book, and turning pages.

Children who miss out on story time show poorer concentration and discipline and are often less exposed to different cultures through stories and so have very few cultural understandings. They miss out on sharing a stronger parent-child bond. A secure attachment to a parent or guardian helps children conquer fear of new places, such as the classroom.

In short, reading to children supports them well beyond their early years.