“Reading should not be presented to children as a chore or duty. It should be offered to them as a precious gift.”
This quote is by Kate DeCamillo who has written many children’s books and who has received a number of awards for her writing, including two Newbery Medals.
Reading truly is a precious gift, and is a gift that can be–and ideally should be–given to children starting when they are very young. When we read to children, we give them the gift of learning about our world, from basic information such as colors, numbers, and aspects of nature—the animals, the sky and sun, trees and flowers–to more subjective aspects of life, such as the ways people help each other, how children make friends and play together, and how parents treat their children and each other with love. Reading and looking at illustrations present to children stories with themes of adventure, sharing, discovery, affection, trust, and many other topics. Children being read to by others and reading books on their own when they’re older contributes to their creativity and intellectual development and improves their ability to express themselves.
Another important reason for reading to children is that it is an opportunity to spend time together, time that makes them feel valued.
Children who are read to starting at a young age experience that reading is a natural part of each day, which often leads to their continuing to enjoy and benefit from reading as adolescents and adults. I read to my daughter starting when she was a baby and throughout her childhood. And now when I visit my grandson, my daughter’s little boy, I spend part of my visit reading to him. I’m continually impressed by the creativity and talent of the authors and the illustrators of children’s literature, and reading to my grandson is a special time of togetherness for him and for me, just as it was for my daughter and me when she was a child.
I encourage you to give the gift of reading to the children in your life.