Why Should I Read To My Child? – Our Story
It was February 27, 2014, the day before my son was born, that I first felt the painful reality that I would be a single mother.
Along the journey, I received reminders of the fact and also felt the victories of being able to do it on my own. Did I want to be here? No. But I am here and fully believe that God has given me what I need for the journey.
It was November 15, 2019, that my son’s Kindergarten teacher told me that while he was reading at level, she expected him to be reading a bit better than he was at the time.
As a book lover myself, I was disappointed. How can we read 3-5 children’s picture books a night and he is still not reading as well as expected?! A teacher friend met us at the library one day and I shared my concerns. She told me it was common for children to leave kindergarten not knowing how to read. She reminded me that while Aidyn may not be an advanced reader now, he loves books and it will come.
I stayed patient. I continued reading. I stayed consistent with my read-alouds at home. In fact, I started reading to Aidyn when he was in the womb.. not because I knew what I know now about the benefits, but:
- Because I am an avid reader and I figured– If I’m going to be reading anyway… why not read it to him.
- Because as a single mom, just beginning on the journey, I had many days where positive thoughts were few and far in between. I needed to read to him. I needed to read to myself as an escape
While we may have everything inside of us that we need for the journey– sometimes we are so tired or downtrodden that it just does not come out. Sometimes we just can’t find the words. Children’s books… well-chosen children’s books… give us those words.
When I was reading to my son, I did not know I was teaching him how to read. I just knew that I loved books and I wanted him to love books as much as I did. I knew that there was a happiness in books that I wanted him to know of…
“What we teach children to love and desire will always outweigh what we make them learn.”
In looking into ways to teach him how to read ( #momguilt ) — I came across this study done by the 1985 Commission on Reading and they found that…
” the single most important activity for building the knowledge required for eventual success in reading is reading aloud to children.”
Becoming a Nation of Readers, 1985
They found that reading aloud was more effective in teaching reading than homework, flashcards, and worksheets! Reading to Aidyn as often as I did, lead to his eventual success with reading!
It was October 13, 2020, that his 1st grade teacher told me she was confused.
She was completely blown away that his Kindergarten teacher marked him at an average reading level. When his 1st grade teacher tested him– he was so beyond his reading level that the school told his teacher to stop testing him. Not only was he beyond his reading level but his comprehension skills were also above level.
If you are wondering, “why read to my child?”– this is one of the many reasons why. We all want our children to be successful. We want them to go out in the world and thrive. As single moms or mothers that are too busy to even conceive having to find the time to do more— reading aloud is the one thing we can do to make our children feel loved, cared for, and lead them to success.
Are you trying to find time in your day to read-aloud with your children? Check out this blog post for actionable tips.
❤️ Quinn
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