A Kid Learns to Read Then Reads to Learn

It’s simple, reading is a critical component of daily life. From understanding food ingredients and managing bills to crafting a detailed board presentation, reading is a key factor of success. Early reading to young children sets a foundation for future academic excellence:

  • Phonemic Awareness:  hear and identify individual sounds
  • Phonics:  connect letters of written language with spoken language
  • Vocabulary:  develop and strengthen communication skills
  • Comprehension:  understand the meaning of written and spoken language

Today a reader, tomorrow a leader.

Margaret Fuller

Books shouldn’t be daunting, they should be funny, exciting and wonderful; and learning to be a reader gives a terrific advantage.

Roald Dahl

To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is a spark.

Victor Hugo

Reading is essential for those who seek to rise above the ordinary.

Jim Rohn
You can find magic where you look. Sit back and relax, all you need is a book
Dr. Seuss

Reading should not be presented to children as a chore or a duty. It should be offered as a gift.

Kate DiCamillo

Reading is a basic tool in the living of a good life.

Mortimer J. Adler

If we encounter a man of rare intellect, we should ask him what books he reads.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

If you are going to get anywhere in life you have to read a lot of books.

Roald Dahl

The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you will go.

Dr. Seuss

Reading Lays the Foundation for Academic Development

  • Increased brain activity and development
  • Become aware of sounds and words
  • Enhance imagination and creativity
  • Connect words to written language
  • Improve comprehension of ideas
  • Learn storytelling: beginning, middle, end
  • Build vocabulary
  • Develop an understanding of the world
  • Boost ability to predict outcomes
  • Promote visualization
  • Develop critical thinking
  • Connect prior knowledge to current events

Kids Who Read Expand Their Levels of Intelligence

General cognitive intelligence can be grouped into fluid intelligence and crystallized intelligence, concepts introduced by influential psychologist Raymond Cattell. The third critical leg of this stool is emotional intelligence.

Fluid Intelligence

The ability to learn, assess, and navigate new situations.

Fluid intelligence is used when encountering new situations and information. People rely on fluid intelligence to understand circumstances, detect patterns, analyze situations, and solve problems.

Benefits of Reading

While reading boosts fluid intelligence, the converse is also true, fluid intelligence improves reading comprehension. Schools have incorporated critical reading and writing into curriculum for this reason. Aptitude tests conducted by school admissions and corporate employers measure a person’s fluid intelligence.

Crystallized Intelligence

The ability to learn and use the stored knowledge to solve problems.

Crystallized intelligence is rooted in facts and actual experiences. This knowledge is gained over time and builds upon itself to help an individual progress through life. People rely on crystallized intelligence to apply knowledge to familiar situations.

Benefits of Reading

Building crystallized intelligence is simply a matter of acquiring new knowledge. Reading is a critical component for developing vocabulary and reading comprehension. Moreover, reading is a means of gaining knowledge about any topic. IQ tests now include vocabulary words as a measure of intelligence.

Emotional Intelligence

The ability to accurately read and respond to your feelings and the feelings of others.

Emotional intelligence is critical to overcoming challenges. Children with high emotional intelligence are better equipped to deal with anxiety that would otherwise disrupt their learning. It’s a key predictor of academic success.

Benefits of Reading

Kids who read are exposed to various situations, the thoughts and decisions of characters, and both the failed and the successful ways those characters resolve conflicts. Reading literary fiction in particular can improve theory of mind, the ability to understand others’ mental states and predict their actions.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

These quick summaries of hand-picked articles help parents stay informed to raise happy, successful kids.

Importance of Reading

Imagination and Cultural Understanding

Reading is important because children learn the difference between real and imaginary. Further, books provide a means for kids to learn more about their own culture as well as cultures around the world. As a result, kids develop empathy and social skills.

Reading and Storytelling with Babies and Children

Raising Children Network

How Reading Changes the Brain

Sustained Increase in Brain Connectivity

Reading strong literary narrative increases connectivity in brain areas that involve language, physical sensation and movement both during reading and for the days that follow.

A Novel Look at How Stories May Change the Brain

Emory University

Brain Development

Brain nerve fibers are active when children are reading. White-matter pathways, which help the brain learn and function, are involved. These pathways connect and link the brain’s language centers to visual information. Higher level readers develop strong signals throughout the white-matter nerve fibers. Importantly, intervention and support can strengthen the child’s ability to read and comprehend.

Reading and the Brain

Harvard Medical School, publication archives 2016

Educational Performance

Reading Accelerates Vocabulary Growth

Reading for pleasure makes a difference in educational performance. Learning to read is about listening, understanding and working out a range of printed words. Elementary school students who are above average readers experience a higher rate of vocabulary growth than average readers. Moreover, this difference in vocabulary growth rate accumulates over time, increasing the effect between strong and average readers.

The Influence of Reading on Vocabulary Growth

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association

Pleasure Reading Improves Academic Performance

Pleasure reading hones and crystallizes skills learned in the classroom. Readers who self-select literature perform better in English, Mathematics, Science and History. Students develop critical thinking reading comprehension skills.

The Impact of Pleasure Reading on Academic Success

Journal of Multidisciplinary Graduate Research, C. Whitten

Parents Can Help

Stay Active and Involved

Parents help by reading aloud to their children and making books readily available at home, on drives, and on vacation. Time spent reading significantly enhances brain development compared with time in front of a digital device. Homes with a nurturing reading environment can stimulate brain development in young children.

Why Reading is So Important

Pearson

Help Your Kids Learn to Love Reading

Check out our easy-to-read summary and tips for how parents can help their kids learn to love reading.

Kids learn to love reading
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