Surprisingly, childhood development through reading does not begin when the young reader begins reading on their own. Instead the integral childhood development that occurs actually starts at infancy and continues throughout the duration of the child’s life. There are many development stages that a child passes through in their reading journey, but here are a few.
Developing Literacy
It has been proven that reading to infants has increased brain stimulus and development, enhanced vocabulary, and contributed to language skills. Cognitive development is led by the exposure to literature and rich reading opportunities presented by the parents through reading out loud. Thankful, this also sets a strong foundation for academic success in the future.
Imagination
As young children move through their development stages and begin reading more thorough and difficult books, their ability to comprehend, critical think, and imagine improve. Reading fiction has been linked to the development of empathy and sympathy in these young readers.
Academic Benefits
The academic benefits of reading are endless. Not only do grades improve when students are reading, but their analytical skills increase heavily making them more aware and able to deductively reason as well.