Reading is a multifaceted process involving word recognition, comprehension, fluency, and motivation. ... to make meaning from print. *
But it is so much more. It is a sharing of pasts and futures, a relaying of cultures and beliefs, and a portal for discovery and realisations that can shape and influence not just a child's literacy but their entire understanding of the world in which they live...and beyond.
Reading is an intensely intimate experience; one which a child can experience for themselves after they've develop the skills to interpret the written word but before that, reading represents an opportunity to connect with a child like nothing else, both emotionally and physically.
It is not just language and comprehension that are enhanced when you read to a child, you are reinforcing their attachment and nurturing their relationship with you every single time you take the time to share a story. For the very young, it's as much about sharing that time with you as it is a cultivation of audio and visual literacy. The importance of this can not be overvalued, ever.
So, take a few moments or more to enrich a child's day, any child, with a book and read to them.
Then do it again and again and again.
Discover more about this annual campaign and the amazing people who drive it at the Read To Me website, here. Get involved - find out how, here.
#readtomeday
* What is Reading? blog post by Diane Henry Leipzig - Reading Rockets Blog
