Reading to Our Children… Vital!
A War for Our Children’s Well-Being
I’d say we’re all aware of the battle for our attention. Every industry wants it completely: social media, new streaming services, countless online platforms, movies, television… basically, the entire entertainment world. And to win that war, they clearly bet on content that is increasingly fast, short, extravagant, stimulating, and easy to consume, requiring little effort from the user.
There’s no doubt that, in the midst of this sea of flashy content, books have a harder time winning the battle. I’ve heard several parents complain that their children don’t want to read, that books don’t interest them. And why would they? They have video games, TV, phone apps… everything already chewed up. All they have to do is open their mouths and let it be spit straight down their throats.
I imagine you understand my fear of my children getting trapped solely in that virtual world, unable to use their own imagination, to be creative, to enjoy the peace of reading in silence without needing background music, explosions, and garish colors flashing in their retinas.
The love of reading is in our hands as parents. We are the ones who can introduce our children to this world in the right way, showing them how exciting it is, how infinite its possibilities are, and how wonderful it is to travel to another universe just by reading a few words. It is, quite literally, magic.
Even the men in lab coats with microscopes have proven it
Encouraging reading from an early age has a profound impact on children’s development. Reading comprehension not only improves their grades but also influences their ability to concentrate, their empathy, and their emotional growth. In fact, it has been proven (though it’s not surprising at all) that children who read regularly have better memory, a broader vocabulary, and a greater ability for critical thinking — positively affecting both their academic and personal lives.
I’m sure I don’t need to convince anyone of the benefits of reading. However, it seems we need to be reminded from time to time and to insist, as parents, that we guide our children toward this excellent habit.
Children exposed to a wider range of vocabulary through regular reading are better prepared to recognize those words in print upon entering school, facilitating quicker acquisition of reading skills.
Parental reading to children enhances their reading abilities and other cognitive skills, with positive effects lasting at least until ages 10–11.
The frequency of parent-child book reading interactions predicts children’s later receptive vocabulary, reading comprehension, and internal motivation to read.
Reading with your child helps build language and thinking skills, even before they can talk, contributing to early brain development.
Reading aloud to kids not only provides cognitive benefits but also strengthens their social, emotional, and character development.
Reading to children not only enhances their cognitive abilities but also plays a significant role in developing empathy and promoting happiness.
There are plenty of research indicating that engaging with stories allows children to experience diverse perspectives, fostering emotional intelligence and compassion. For instance, a study highlighted by found that reading helps children build empathy by connecting them to characters’ experiences, enabling them to understand and share the feelings of others.
Early reading habits are linked to better mental health and overall well-being. A study from revealed that children who begin reading for pleasure early in life tend to perform better in cognitive tests and exhibit better mental health during adolescence.
How we do it
My wife and I love reading, so we started reading to our daughters from a very, very young age, even before they could speak. To this day, my eldest daughter still enjoys listening to me read, even though she can do it on her own. It’s part of our bedtime routine. Sometimes, we have up to five books going at the same time… of course, one after the other.
There are countless books to introduce children to reading. We don’t always have to take the easy route of the same old classics or just the Grimm Brothers’ fairy tales.
With my daughters, even though I thought they were too young for it, we started reading Heidi, a classic novel and one of my mother’s favorites. To my surprise, they loved it. If there were words or phrases they didn’t understand, I explained them, and it didn’t take away from their immersion in the story one bit. In fact, it was a revelation when my daughter — who must have been around six or seven at the time — cried her heart out when Heidi was separated from her grandfather and taken to Frankfurt. She lived the story 100%, without needing a screen.
Of course, we enjoy movie nights, we love watching films and the occasional series. But it’s also wonderful to read a book and then see its adaptation on screen.
That’s what we did with the first Narnia book. Emma already understood the fantasy world thanks to our reading, and I’d say she enjoyed the movie even more because of it. Now we’re doing the same with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and I love seeing them get excited. Even though Emma is nine, she jumps with joy when we get to the part where Charlie finds the golden ticket. Her empathy is fully engaged, and they both enjoy the story, even if all that’s happening is their dad lying in bed, reading it aloud.
Even as an adult
And something I’ve realized while reading to my daughters is that I, too, deeply enjoy books I never thought I’d read as an adult. Books like Roald Dahl’s, Narnia, Pippi Longstocking, Heidi, and even Captain Underpants. These are all incredibly fun reads, even for me as an adult. They keep my inner child alive, warm my heart, and, of course, make life much better.
That said, I don’t mean to diminish other forms of entertainment. I, too, believe that television, video games, cinema, and theater are art forms that deserve to be appreciated. But, to be honest, there’s an imbalance in how both children and adults consume these different types of entertainment and culture. Reading offers far more benefits than consuming content through screens. And yes, it’s up to us to keep that spark alive, to keep it strong, and to continue nurturing the love for this activity.
