Head Start for Children: Educational Benefits of Reading for Children

One of the most important skills your child can learn is reading. Besides counting, it is probably the first intellectual skill to be addressed in school systems. However, it is beneficial for your children to give them a head start so that they are already beginning to read when they enter school. What advantages do children have when they begin to read before entering school, and how far do you need to go to teach your child to read?

While a five-year-old in kindergarten is certainly not expected to be able to pick up a Stephen King novel and read it, it is a great idea to put your child in a position to be ahead of the average child in his reading ability. . . Progressing beyond The Cat in the Hat is certainly not frowned upon, although your child may get bored with kindergarten reading assignments. A good teacher for this age group recognizes that children are at different levels and adapts to the needs of each child.

By teaching your own child to read, you ensure that they receive personalized attention and a personalized curriculum, if desired, so that progression can occur at the desired pace. You can also make sure your child has fun reading, which is important. If it’s not fun, they won’t want to do it! Many educational benefits come from material that is also tremendously entertaining!

By learning to read early, children are prepared to pay more attention to other aspects of school, including learning social skills, teamwork, and other traits necessary for success in daily life. Having a head start also allows the child to progress further, so that later in life the individual’s vocabulary is extensive and far surpasses the average individual in both reading and speaking skills.

Well-read people, especially those who can attribute their success to the diligence of parents who were willing to take the time and teach them as children, are known to make the most progress in school, college, and in the workplace. Often, because their knowledge is broadened by the variety of topics they have read about, they are also more socially involved, with the ability to engage in conversations with others on a wide variety of topics in an intelligent and informed way.

Getting your child started on the ability to read early is one way to get him on the right foot to begin the journey through school and through life. The more you teach them, the less likely they are to have difficulties in the future and the more confident they will be in themselves and their abilities.