Parent Perspective: Why I Love to Read!

“It’s a wonderful thing to read,” says Yesim, a Cultivating Literacy parent, who responded to our call for volunteers to share their literacy experience for the celebration of International Literacy Day (UNESCO,1966). 

Yesim, like many parents, feels that reading is fundamental for her child’s academic success. For Yesim, her love of reading began in elementary school. Books were a way for her to explore new places and embody different characters. Not only has her love of reading blossomed, but now she shares this experience with her own children.

While sharing her love for reading, Yesim recounts how she used it to bring her family together and became a favorite activity in their household. True, everyone has different literacy experiences, yet yours can be just as impactful with your children by following a few simple steps:

Start Early!

Did you know that reading to your baby can lay a foundation for language development but also enhance the development of social and emotional skills that will help them thrive?

As your child develops and enters formal schooling, learning through play should continue to be an important part of their academic development. According to a research team from Temple University, the University of Delaware, and Vanderbilt University, children can learn words just as effectively through playful activities as through shared book reading. Additionally, sing-a-longs, board games, and interactive storytime is a great way to engage your little one.

Set aside short daily reading sessions with your child. Not only are you modeling the importance of reading, but it fosters a bond between you and your child. Build memories through the story’s characters, vocabulary, and meaningful content by creating a puppet play or character board to highlight your child’s favorite character in the book. If you choose a book series, the character board could develop as the character changes in the series.

The love of reading can be a shared, enjoyable experience, but it starts with you and your love of reading. Why not pass this gift on to your little one and experience the many joys of reading?