So why should children read? In terms of fiction or non-fiction, there are endless stories that broaden their understanding of the world. Although reading doesn’t always make one a better communicator, those who read tend to have a more varied range of words to express how they feel and to get their point across when writing. This increases exponentially with the more books they consume, giving a higher level of vocabulary to use in everyday life.

Reading also improves focus and concentration. Sitting down with a book takes long periods of focus, which at first is hard to do. Being fully engaged in a book involves closing off the outside world and immersing yourself into the story, which over time will strengthen attention spans. We are limited by what we can imagine, and the worlds described in books, as well as other people’s views and opinions, will help our children expand their understanding of what is possible. By reading a written description of an event or a place, their mind is responsible for creating that image in their head, instead of having the image placed in front of them when watching television or playing video games.

Books offer an outstanding wealth of learning and having a library of information that was picked up from non-fiction reading will come in handy for your children too.

Reading helps our children to relax. Studies show that reading silently for just six minutes slows down the heart rate and eases tension in their muscles.

All the benefits of reading mentioned above are a bonus result of the most important benefit of reading; Its entertainment value. If it were not for the entertainment value, reading would be a chore but it needn’t be. Reading is not only fun, but it has all the added benefits that we have discussed so far. Miss Brookes and the English Team are more than happy to help children choose appropriate books and I am more than willing to buy new ones too so that we can keep those interest levels up.
 
Kind regards,
Jules Rogers