If you were lucky enough to be read to before bed growing up, what do you remember most? A parent’s voice, soft but sure, and growing softer as the last page neared? The warmth of cuddling with a parent, relaxed and still, or perhaps the thrill of your favorite characters, so valiantly and creatively solving problems?
\n \nSharing stories with little ones in the last moments of the day is a time-honored tradition – one that, until the age of television, was simply a way to pass time in the dark and get young eyes good and heavy. For many families, it has also been a way to share the gift of reading. What you didn’t know as a child, however, was that in addition to giving you foundational learning skills and feeling sleepy, reading brought a wealth of benefits to your well-being.
\nAt a time when reading for pleasure may be at its lowest among children, and at a time when many children are struggling with their mental health, how can family reading help children rebuild their calm and confidence?
\nHere are five ways reading can boost a child’s well-being.
\n1. Calm and connection. The moment you and your child cuddle up on the sofa or their bed with your undivided attention, your child immediately feels a blissful sense of connection. There’s something soothing about hearing a loved one’s voice reading aloud.
\nFor both parent and child, these are some special bonding moments and a wonderful cue to the child that this is the time to relax and take in the joyful escape of a story. Whatever worries may have filled their day can fall away, for now.
\nResearch shows that reading for just ten minutes a day can help anyone feel calmer in times of stress and anxious feelings. When you make that ten minutes of reading before bed (or anytime) a routine, it contributes to a child’s feelings of security. That, too, helps a child feel grounded.
\n2. Understanding and empathy. For children, there’s a lot to make sense of about people and the world. We’re fortunate to live in a time when you can find picture books about all kinds of characters from all kinds of backgrounds navigating all kinds of challenges, and in all kinds of languages. Books give children words and a way to understand their own feelings and experiences – and those of others.
\nWith this language and emotional intelligence – and brave role models showing them the way – children are better equipped to work through tough and the tricky moments, and enjoy the richness of friendships.
\n3. Gaining words and the foundation of learning. Every time you read a book together, your child hears words: the familiar and the new. And with every word they hear and begin to recognize, the more ready they are to learn to read – and then go on to read to learn.
\nStudies show children who are more confident readers and learners can have a better sense of self-esteem and well-being.
\n4. Vehicles for conversations. Young readers have more words and ways to understand the world, and reading also gives children a natural way to talk about what’s happening in their own day-to-day lives. From bullying to separation to caring for the earth and remembering traditions, children’s books explore a range of topics, making it easier for them to bring up what they’re seeing and feeling.
\n5. Imagination and attention span. One of the most delightful aspects of childhood is the imagination. When a child explores the creativity of story and the ways characters overcome obstacles, it sets off their own ability to imagine alternative courses of action and endings – for characters and themselves.
\nAs you’re reading, take time to ask questions that spark the imagination and reinforce a child’s ability to come up with creative solutions. What can the goat do now? What would you do if ____?
\nAs your child’s mind swirls with images and possibilities, using their imaginations and staying with a story does something else that’s beneficial for well-being and learning: increased attention span. In the age of digital distraction, being able to focus for longer periods can only help boost children’s thinking, creativity, and sense of accomplishment.
\nStaying engaged with a whole story and asking to read it again, now that’s something to celebrate!
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With more than 200,000+ pre-loved books across every genre imaginable, Calgary Reads Big Book Sale gives families the chance to stock up on books in a way that’s fun, affordable, and meaningful. Most children’s books are just $2 and proceeds support local early literacy initiatives. Calgary Reads Big Book Sale donation events run April 25 to May 4 and the sale runs May 9 to 19 at Calgary Curling Club. Learn more at bigbooksale.ca.
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