Do you really need reasons to read with your child???  Parents are told constantly to read to their children, or with their children – but perhaps having a little further explanation would help you understand WHY reading with your children is as essential as brushing your teeth twice a day.  This list is from the Georgia Preschool Association Newsletter.

Reasons to Read with Your Child

1. Build a lifelong interest in reading.  “Getting children actively involved in the process of reading and having them interact with adults is key in a lifelong interest in reading,” said BeAnn Younker, principal at Battle Ground Middle School in Indiana.
2. Children whose parents read to them tend to become better readers and perform better in school, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
3. Reading to children helps them with language and speech development.
4. Reading expands vocabulary and teachers pronunciation.
5. Reading to toddlers prepares them for school, when they will need to listen to what is being said to them, similar to what is being read to.
6. Reading to older children helps them understand grammar and sentence structure.
7. Children and parents can use reading time as bonding time.  It’s an excellent opportunity for one-on-one communication, and it gives children the attention they crave.
8. Being read to helps children learn how to express themselves clearly and confidently.
9. Curiosity, creativity, and imagination are all developed while being read to.
10. Being read to builds children’s attention spans and helps them hone their listening skills.
11. Children learn appropriate behavior when they’re read to and are exposed to new situations, making them more prepared when they encounter these situations in real life.
12. When read to, children are able to experience the rhythm and melody of language, even before they can understand the spoken or printed word.

Now that your motivation to continue reading with your child is renewed, check out these top 10 board books to read to your infant, as well as other  great books picks in my “Whatcha Reading” series.