Reading to your kids is one of the best gifts you can give them. When my kids were younger, we enjoyed reading many really great picture books. As my kids grew, we started reading chapter books together and then novels. And we listen to audiobooks during road trips. Reading together is one of my favorite activities to do with my kids. We read a few chapters every day at bedtime, which is a great way to help them wind down.
Benefits of reading with your kids:
Bonding: It's nice to snuggle and have quality time while reading as you laugh together or unravel a mystery.
Vocabulary: When you are reading together and come across a new or unfamiliar word, you can ask them to guess the meaning based on the context and then move forward by telling them what it means. It will help them with word memory and expand vocabulary.
Reading comprehension: When you read to them and add emotions to the characters' voices and discuss the meaning and intentions of a passage, it helps them understand it better. They visualize better and that helps them comprehend better.
Life lessons: This is my favorite part as you can talk about right and wrong things to do, consequences and problem-solving through the characters' experiences and what you would do. It gives you the opportunity to discuss history, real life/world issues/solutions and so on based on the book you are reading.
A few of our favorites: Moon Over Manifest, The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle, Lemons, I Survived series. We especially enjoy historical fiction and other story-driven novels.
Speech-Language Pathologist • Playdate Speech Therapy