How Do Books Help Children?
Picture books, story books with chapters, encyclopedias, specialty magazines, series books and collections: each of these helps children in myriad ways. From learning to read and understand basic language to becoming able to create something meaningful for themselves, children can benefit from books beginning at a very young age. Parents who want the best possible educational outcome for their children may want to take time to read to them and to assist them in choosing well from the wonderful world of books.
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Language
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Pictures in books can help children learn identification, counting and more. The most obvious benefit from books for people of any age is gaining better abilities with language. No matter what culture or language children are born into, books expose them to sounds, forming words and putting together sentences, all of which help in general communication.
Most humans communicate primarily through spoken and written language, and being able to read is, for many people, vital to having a full-life experience.
Reading also helps with hearing and with learning to listen. Books can help sharpen the aural and visual senses, and can lead to developing the other senses as well, simply by providing activity for the brain. Reading and writing go hand-in-hand.
Visualization
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Children can visit many kinds of places through books. A child is never too young to be read to. Even though his cognitive capabilities may be undeveloped, he senses things through gesture, tone and rhythm. The images in picture books begin to stimulate brain function and recognition of pattern, light, shadow and shape. Exposure to visual stimuli is encouraged by many pediatricians, and as children get older, they begin to associate experience with images, as well as words. Some parents say their children have certain artistic gifts, or want to draw and paint, simply because they were shown many books when very young.
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Understanding
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Books help spark children's imaginations. Books help children understand their world. From places, weather and animals to cultures and current events, books help children establish their identity and discover how they fit into the larger world. Books give them awareness, broaden their experience, widen their frame of reference, expand their minds and even give them an appreciation of family history and origins.
When parents read to older children, or when a child begins to read for herself, emotions begin to take shape as well. Sharing laughter about "The Cat in the Hat's" shenanigans, or sharing fear from "Captain Flint," or sadness about "Old Yeller," offers children a range from which to discern future appropriate responses.
Imagination
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Reading can teach children about adventure and exploration. Characters and stories, from fairy tales to the classics of literature, lend to the expansion of imagination for children. Authors of books for children keep them dreaming, visiting other realms, playing with fantasy, discovering facts and digging for more. Einstein said, "Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand."
Knowledge
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Don't lounge around all day; read! Though maybe not as important as imagination in Einstein's view, knowledge can empower people. Children can learn not only facts or how things work, but they can learn about boundaries, safety and taking care of themselves, others, and even pets. These are valuable tools derived from books to help children shape their lives.
Libraries
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Libraries are wonderful places for children to learn. A trip to the local library for half an hour is a great thing to do with kids. Let them choose their own books from the children's section, with your guidance. If they show a particular interest in one subject or illustrator or author, allow them to follow their heart. They'll eventually switch gears to check out new topics and writers.
Sometimes adult books have great art images to share with children. Even cookbooks can be fun, but it's probably best to let young people handle only those specifically aimed at them. Libraries sometimes feature guest story-tellers, too, so ask a librarian for a schedule.
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References
Resources
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