Reading is important for all ages, but particularly for children who still have much to learn about the world and various skills to develop. Not only can reading support a child’s academic progression, it can also be a source of entertainment and relaxation. I have teamed up with a prep school in Hertfordshire to explore the importance of reading in further detail below.
Increases Vocabulary
When children read, they are exposed to a range of new words, which helps to widen their vocabulary. If they come across a word they don’t understand, encourage them to look it up in a dictionary so that they are more likely to remember it.
Enhances Writing Skills
As children learn new words and become familiar with different sentence structures, they become better at writing themselves. This is great because they will be required to write a lot at school, particularly during GCSEs and A Levels.
Improves General Knowledge
Books allow readers to learn about different places, cultures, and historical events, amongst various other things. As a result, they allow children to expand upon their general knowledge and inspire them to learn more about different topics.
Boosts Social Skills
Having enhanced general knowledge and a wider vocabulary is great for helping children become better communicators, as they will have more to talk about and better skills for expressing themselves.
Increases Confidence
The skills developed through reading allow children to feel more confident in their abilities. This is great for helping them feel more comfortable in new situations, like meeting someone for the first time or trying a new activity.
As you can see, there are a range of benefits of reading. Perhaps you could invest in a library card to inspire them, and expose them to a range of reading materials, like magazines as well as books.