Reading. Why bother?

Children reading

In our modern world… Reading. Why bother?

In this modern time when things are turning increasingly to audiovisual, why bother reading? Is there any good reason for children to read, and for you to read aloud to your children?

Yes! Yes! Yes! In fact, it’s almost more important now than it was when you were a child. The onslaught of visual media is phenomenal today, and children certainly find it more fun to watch something that doesn’t require their effort than to read a book which does.

Let’s look at what a book does… It takes a variable amount of time (length depends largely on the length of the book itself, as well as the individual reading) to enter a story in which your own imagination creates the pictures based on what you read (or hear if you’re listening to an audio book).

It makes you slow down, find somewhere comfy and leisurely to pass some time, and eagerly open the pages to continue in your adventure. (I think firstly of reading fiction, though obviously nonfiction shouldn’t be neglected.) When the time you have available to read is over, it is usually followed by a sigh of regret, as you might peek into the book for the last few lines you can squeeze into the time, perhaps even reading while you walk. (I have many hours of personal experience in this.)

Now let’s look at what a movie does… You sit down to eat food you don’t need and won’t burn off, focus your eyes on a screen, and sit mesmerized for around 2 hours as someone else tells you a story (often from a book), their version, as seen through their eyes. And when it’s over, you’re looking for the next movie to entertain you. You also only have their vision of the book in your mind, and are unlikely to read the original.

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You might think I don’t like movies from what I said. You are wrong. In fact, I very much enjoy movies. One thing I like to do with my children is read the book BEFORE watching the movie, and then do a comparison between the two, comparing similarities and differences, as well as their personal preferences. Confirming the power of a well-written book is how frequently they report that they preferred the book to the movie, as did I. Well-written words form the foundation of a good and engaging movie, because movies need a script to be penned and a strong dialog to be effective, so even movies can’t get away from the base of words.

Possibly the most important reasons to read aloud to your children, particularly books that are above their reading level, are to stretch and grow their attention spans while adding depth to their vocabulary, and transporting them to times and places that may not exist anymore. The value of these cannot be overstated. Every other thing you teach them will go easier when they have longer attentions and are practiced at sitting attentively, having actively participated (though quietly) in the books you have read to them or they have read themselves.

Another more subtle value in reading quality books to your children, is that it will greatly improve and increase their spelling ability and personal thesaurus. When they read to themselves, an avid reader is naturally going to be a better speller because they have seen the words and their spelling, as well as having more sound grammar skills because they develop an ear for it.

Reading together also brings a closeness between you and the children. Not only do you get to huddle together around a book or spend a pleasant half hour winding down before bedtime together, but you can go adventuring to foreign lands and meet characters found only in the pages of a great book!

Why bother reading? There are many, many reasons. Dust a book off the shelf and dive into it with your child and see where it takes you.

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Start Somewhere. You never know where it will lead you.