We all know early exposure to books and reading only develops a later love of reading in children. But did you also know the other benefits of reading with your child? Here are a few
- children's self-esteem grows as they experience the security of having a parent or other caring person read aloud with them
- children experience increased communication with parents and other family members
- children are introduced to new concepts such as colors, shapes, numbers, and alphabet, in a fun, age appropriate way
- children build listening skills, vocabulary, memory and language skills
- children develop imagination and creativity
- children learn information about the world around them
- children develop individual interests in special subjects (ie. dinosaurs, cats, or cars)
- children learn positive behavior patterns and social values
- children learn positive attitudes towards themselves and others
Just as there are numerous good quality children's books being sold, there are also many poor quality children's books. What should we look for? The following are authors that consistently publish wonderful books for the young:
- Eric Carle
- Kevin Henkes
- Steven Kellogg
- Ruth Krauss
- Arnold Lobel
- Robert McKloskey
- Beatrix Potter
- Margaret and HA Rey
- EB White
- Margaret Wise Brown
These authors write wonderful books for older, school-aged children:
- Beverly Cleary
- CS Lewis
- Madeleine L'Engle
- Laura Ingalls Wilder
Click here to view a list of quality book titles arranged by age.
