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Bookworms and literature aficionados, this might be some of the best news you've ever read. And reading is exactly what it’s all about. According to the University of Western Alabama's Teaching Online, there are many benefits that storytime provides to children of all ages. So if you haven’t been taking your children, students or small people in your life to the library and encouraging their reading, it’s time to get started.
Language and vocabulary development
When children listen to an adult read them a story, it allows them to be exposed to new words, Simply Well Family suggests. The more new words they hear, the more it will enrich and grow their vocabulary pool. Reading stories to children, even when they are very young, is a powerful way to support their language and vocabulary development, explains Baby Sparks. Some parents (or parents-to-be) even read to their babies throughout the pregnancy months! And the best part is, it’s never too late or too early to start.
Promoting literacy and thinking skills
Reading is one of the most important skills a person needs to navigate this world. Storytime encourages reading , as it presents it as a fun and enjoyable activity. According to AP News, children that are regularly exposed to books develop early literacy skills. It is important for them to see the adults in their life interact with books, use them, read them, hold them and value them, especially because we live in an increasingly digital age. That example can positively impact their attitude towards reading and get them excited to start reading on their own when they are ready for it.
Another interesting aspect of storytime is the social interaction and back and forth between the storyteller and the listener(s). When reading a story, you may want to ask questions and encourage participation from the children. This promotes their thinking, especially when asked to predict what will happen next in the story. A great tip shared on the Learning Time platform is to make storytelling fun and lively. This peaks the listener’s interest and creates incredibly positive memories and associations.
A whole new world
There is a limit to how many experiences a person can have, how many places they can travel to and how many people they can meet. This is especially true for children, who still have their entire lives ahead of them. But here is the thing — when it comes to reading, those limits pretty much disappear.
Stories have the power to bring people to the most incredible places, real or fictional. They help children develop imaginative and creative skills and maybe even emotional ones as well. Learning Time suggests that hearing stories about other people can improve a child’s empathy and emotional intelligence. As a story draws them in, they get concerned for the characters, which can be used as a learning opportunity for discussing values and important subjects.
Although life is busy for everyone, storytime and the benefits it brings will be present in children’s lives as long as parents and teachers make it a priority. And once a child gets excited about reading and starts to choose his or her own books, it might even get difficult to convince them to put those books down! But that’s another story.
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