Kerby Anderson

Alyssa Blakemore explains “Why Parents Should Read to Their Kids.” That is what she does and encourages parents and grandparents to do the same.

Research from last year showed that fewer parents actually read aloud to their children. “A dismal 41 percent of zero- to four-year-olds are read to frequently, down more than 20 percentage points from 2012.”

She has found that Gen Z parents now regard reading as “more a subject to learn than a fun thing to do.” The tradition of reading to your children is unfortunately fading and comes with a great cost. Reading aloud not only helps improve literacy and academic success but it also plays a vital role in the development of emotional maturity.

A child’s imagination takes flight while reading stories by J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. They develop the ability to identify and sympathize with others in stories. They can enjoy the humorous misadventures of Paddington Bear in London’s underground. There are many benefits to involving themselves in these make-believe worlds.

She also acknowledges that once a child learns to read, these shared literary adventures start to wane. For ages 5-7 only 36 percent are read to regularly at home. That figure drops to just 22 percent with 8-10 year-olds. That is why we need to take advantage of the opportunity to read to them at a young age. This collective immersion in stories, she explains, can stimulate conversations between parent and child on so many important topics.

She recognizes that life can become busy too quickly, so it is important to make the most of the time you can carve out for reading. Sometimes it will feel tedious, but the reward will be great.