Kids love to play make-believe on the playground and create worlds for their toys. Sitting down with a book may seem dull by comparison, especially when they’re out of school and free to enjoy their summer break. But encouraging them to read every day is crucial for their development as people and students.
This guide explains how reading helps kids become better students so parents and educators feel motivated to help kids fall in love with stories. Here are a few key benefits of reading for kids:
1. They Learn New Vocabulary Words
Coming across new words is one of the first benefits of reading for students. Although their teachers will give them vocabulary lists in school, children remember new words more easily after reading them in books and applying them with associated meanings and situations. The words connect with their favorite characters or storylines, cementing their definition in your child’s memory. Reading more frequently also helps kids become naturally better spellers and develops their phonemic and phonological awareness.
2. They Become Better Communicators
An extensive vocabulary helps students write better essays and even get into better colleges when sending applications. Improving their communication abilities is one of the most significant benefits of reading for kids. College admission boards look for applicants with strong communication skills before accepting anyone.
Even if college is over a decade down the road, reading books early in life will help kids have an easier time in their future academic pursuits.
3. They Retain Lessons Longer
Reading teaches young minds how to retain information longer. It’s among the many benefits of reading for students because their brains exercise and refine the ability to remember crucial details. Encourage your kids to pick up books while they’re out of school or enter a summer reading club that motivates them with fun prizes.
They’ll start their new habit to win a competition and finish the summer with a new appreciation for reading. They may even meet new friends because everyone hung out at the library to start the event and attend the awards ceremony. It’s always good to expand a child’s social circle even when the primary goal is to help them remember school lessons longer.
4. They Develop Problem-Solving Skills
Books demonstrate how characters solve problems. Kids model these problem-solving skills in the classroom during tests and while answering questions during a presentation. They may never meet a little engine who could or give a mouse a cookie, but they’ll learn from those characters and use their new problem-solving skills to excel at school.
5. They Cultivate Time Management Skills
Time management is one of the unknown benefits of reading for kids. They’ll have to find time during their routine to sit down with their book and pay attention to the clock so they don’t miss dinner or the bus. Students replicate these skills when they divide their days into breaks, reading periods, and class schedules. Successful time management results in better grades and even better mental health.
Cultivate a Love of Reading
Now that you know how reading helps kids become better students, cultivate a love for it in your home. Take your kids to the library or buy new books for their bedroom. Short reading sessions every day will transform into days spent carrying books everywhere they go. They’ll succeed in and out of the classroom because stories gave them the tools they needed to chase their goals.
About the Author
Ginger Abbot is an education and learning writer with a personal love for reading. Explore more of her work on her website, Classrooms, where she also serves as editor.