March is National Reading Month—Pediatrician Amy Slette, MD, Discusses the Benefits of Reading with Children

It’s no surprise that reading to and with children has significant benefits. From the encouragement of cognitive development to the strengthening of secure attachments and social-emotional bonding, the impact runs deep.

Fostering a love for and enjoyment of books and reading from an early age creates a solid foundation for learning and can pave the way for your child to be successful in many different areas in life, not just language and academics. Kindness, empathy, creativity, curiosity, imagination—these are all important things that can be unearthed through reading together and are important in the shaping of a well-rounded and thoughtful individual.   

Pediatrician Amy Slette, MD, of UP Medical Group | Marquette Pediatrics, has provided some great information and resources to caregivers for this National Reading Month feature.

Q: What are some of the cognitive health benefits of reading to and with children?

A: The positive impacts of reading begin early in infancy. Infants and toddlers who are read to consistently develop stronger language and listening skills. They develop a strong recognition of sounds and letters and a broader vocabulary. It’s also important to continue to read with and aloud to children as they continue to mature. Developing a routine of reading and spending time together reading helps to establish it as an enjoyable experience. The more one reads the better they read—and reading is critical to long-term health and well-being.

Q: What about the positive social and emotional aspects of reading together? What kind of impact does that have on children?

A: The positive social and emotional impacts cannot be overstated. Reading beginning in infancy helps to strengthen the bond between infants and their caregivers. It creates a sense of security for the child. It helps to establish routine and predictability. The simple act of reading can help lessen the impacts of toxic stress from other factors that are not always within a parent or caregiver’s control.

Q: Can you talk about why the first few years of a child’s life are so critical in development and how reading can positively support healthy brain development?

A: More than 80 percent of a child’s brain—the connection it’s making—is formed during the first three years of life. The brain is not yet able to read in infancy. But the language centers are developing at enormous rates. Hearing a variety of words and sounds strengthens that language center well before one starts to piece together letters and sounds to create words and stories on a page. Reading together is also fun and this positive experience creates a huge impact on a child’s future. Functional imaging studies show that children who are read to frequently as infants and toddlers have activation of the parts of the brain associated with enjoyment when they take on the task of learning to read independently. And the more they were read to out loud, essentially the more these areas of the brain were activated. The task of learning to read, while challenging, becomes easier if associated with enjoyment. We are all much better at basically anything if we enjoy it!

Q: How often and for how long should caregivers aim to read with their children each week?

A: I don’t think the key is to have a required length or frequency. The benefits of reading together stem from the pleasure created for both caregiver and child. If it becomes just one more task that must be accomplished it risks negating some of those benefits. Instead of time goals, it’s better to create a routine such as a bath, book then bed. But you also must allow yourself grace—some nights you may only be able to muster enough energy for a five-line poem while other evenings may offer the opportunity to read your three-year-old’s favorite book 10 times over. It’s also good to remember that having physical books, magazines, comics, etc. in the home is great. And reading doesn’t have to be saved for bedtime. Keep books in the car and diaper bag and grab them instead of the phone when waiting for the doctor, the barber, etc.

Q: Do you have any specific children’s book recommendations relating to physical or mental/emotional health?

A: A couple of my favorite books that subtly promote good nutrition are both by Louis Ehlert titled “Eating the Alphabet” and “Growing Vegetable Soup.” There are many wonderful children’s books now that strive to strengthen social and emotional learning. But it’s also good to remember that almost any book that is being enjoyed together is helping in this realm. But one of my favorites for elementary school-age children is “Wonder” by R.J. Palacio. And she also now has a book for younger children titled “Wonder, We Are All Wonders.” For young kids, the series “Elephant and Piggie” by Mo Willems has tons of stories about friendships and empathy such as, “Can I Play, Too?”

Q: Any other resources to share with families?

A: The best resource I recommend is your local library. There are tons of programs for children of all ages. And librarians are amazing! As far as a written resource I love the book, “The Read-Aloud Handbook” by Jim Trelease. I still reference my yellowed and tattered 6^th edition for my middle school and high school-age kids. “The Read-Aloud Handbook” is now in its 8^th edition with I think a 9^th edition coming soon. It details all the benefits of reading and strategies to incorporate literature into the lives of children. And the latter part of the book includes a huge list of a variety of books that are great for reading aloud along with a short description of each book.

Barak Obama said, “Reading is important. If you know how to read, then the whole world opens up to you.” If it’s not already a focus in your household, we encourage you to build a strong relationship with your child or children through books and reading. March is National Reading Month, so it’s a great time to start!

Dr. Slette is part of the team of experienced providers at UP Medical Group | Marquette Pediatrics, located at 1414 W. Fair Ave., Ste. 226, Marquette, MI. She also sees patients at UP Medical Group | Bell Pediatrics, located at 901 Lakeshore Dr., Ste. 208, Ishpeming, MI. Establishing a good relationship with a provider in your child’s early years is also important to their overall health. To learn more about pediatric services offered at UP Health System, visit UPHealthSystem.com/Pediatrics.