The Power to Read

So much of the intelligence children will ultimately have is developed before they even go to kindergarten. That's pressure right? When you read to your child, you are building pathways in their brains needed for successful reading experiences. They will develop auditory perception that allows them to think about how words sound. Listening to stories helps children enhance their vocabularies and use longer sentences. Another wonderful benefit of reading to children is that it increases their attention spans and ability to focus on what is being said. More than anything else, reading to young children gives them a desire to read.

My oldest recently began reading chapter books. He really likes the series Magical Treehouse. A few weekends ago we bought a swing set that had a 'fort/playhouse' and his first response when it was up was 'I'm going to go grab my books and make this into my own magical treehouse!' I wanted to jump up and down! He loves to read and has learned that reading isn't a chore (okay he's 7 so some days it is) but rather a new adventure every day! Share your excitement and love for reading with your kids. Library cards are free and most libraries will issue them to kids at around age 5. Enjoy the power to read!