Benefits of Bedtime Reading

I just read an article, Bedtime Stories for Young Brains, by Perri Klass, M.D. There were some things that really stuck out to me, even though I was aware of the benefits of bedtime stories, this perspective made me stop and think about it a little more.

Yes, so we all know that spending time with our children and reading to them is a nice and lovely thing to do. It is a special time to enjoy with our children and to show them how much we love them. We also know that it is a good way for children to see patterns and learn sight words, but there is more to it than that. When kids hear a story they are able to mentally picture these images through their “mind’s eye.” The practice of developing these visual images will help them later to become better readers and to develop the comprehension that goes with it.

I have a book of fairy tales in my classroom. It is a book that my husband gave me when I first started teaching. Every class that I have ever had has loved when I read from this book. It doesn’t have many pictures, and I don’t show the pictures until after I have read the page. My students always try to sneak a peek, but I encourage them to use their imagination first. This book is a great way for students to begin using their visual imagination.

Besides spending precious time with our children at bedtime, and helping them strengthen their visual imagery, there is an additional benefit to reading with our children. This is the benefit of building vocabulary. As a teacher I definitely have seen the benefits of this. The books that we read in class provide students with exposure to words that don’t normally come up in everyday conversation… that is until we have read/heard it from a book and discussed it. Students initially overuse the words and not always in the correct context, but eventually many of these words become part of their verbal/written vocabulary.

When my children were young they often had other kids comment on their vocabulary. It was hard for my husband and I to understand why this was, it was just the way we spoke. Now that I have grand kids, I’m able to see it much more clearly. My grand kids use vocabulary that sometimes surprises me, and they use it naturally. Since a very young age, my granddaughter has used the word, “adorable,” to comment on cute puppies and babies. It isn’t that we spend time drilling our grand kids on vocabulary; it is just what they have been exposed to through books, conversations, and experiences.

With the school year beginning and many of my first graders not yet being readers, I definitely want to remind my families of the importance of spending time reading together. There are just so many benefits to it. 

If you are interested in reading the article, Bedtime Stories for Young Brains,you can click on the link.   Bedtime Stories Link 

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