Communication Benefits From Reading To Your Child

There is no greater
skill that you can teach your child than the skill of communication. Communication
is the tool that we use every single day in order to identify and articulate
our needs and to work with others in society to get those needs met. But communication
is an elusive thing to teach because it is done through daily experience rather
than through planned lessons.

One of the best ways that you can begin to develop the communication skills
that your child will need all throughout life is to sit down for a short period
of time each and every day to read to your child.

At a very basic
level, reading to your child improves communication skills because it allows
him or her to develop the vocabulary and grammar skills necessary to speak with
others. Having a wider vocabulary will make it possible for your child to correctly
identify what he or she is thinking or feeling and to convey that to others.
This important skill will be used in every single relationship that your child
has for the rest of his or her life so the more that you read to your child,
the greater their future relationships with others will be. As you read aloud
to your child, you will be using different voices and tones to express different
emotions, teaching your child a range of appropriate expression which will enhance
this overall communication.

At a more complex level,
reading to your child teaches him and her about “the bigger picture”
of life. By reading words aloud and then linking them the images happening in
the books that you are reading together, you teach your child to interpret the
same information in multiple ways. This helps to give a more well-rounded perspective
to experience. Additionally, by reading to your child about a number of different
fiction and non-fiction topics, you open up your child’s world to a variety
of different experiences. With more information, your child will have a broader,
more open view of the world and so will be in a better position to communicate
with people from diverse backgrounds.

Finally, and perhaps
most importantly, reading to your child every day directly benefits the communication
that you and your child have together. Simply spending that time with your child
each day will help you to bond together and to create the positive relationship
that stimulates good communication in your relationship. The books that you
choose to read can also be starting points for conversation and you can use
them to introduce topics that you want to discuss with your child, such as how
to deal with strangers or what is happening with his or her body as she grows
up. These topics which can sometimes be difficult to discuss can be taught during
reading time in a more comfortable setting which will set the stage for ongoing
positive communication which you will enjoy with your children long after they
can read on their own. 

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