This article was written by one of the Stepping Stone Reading Tutors. If you know of anyone who might be interested in reading tuition, please do get in contact.

You have probably heard of the saying, “Charity begins at home.” In the field of teaching and in-home tutoring, literacy begins at home, too. Formal education for your children may start when he or she starts attending school, but learning begins before that.

As a parent, one of your responsibilities is to look after your child’s intellectual development. It is in your child’s best interests when you begin reading to him or her as early as possible. An advocacy group for reading and literacy, Literacy Connections, advises parents not to wait until their child is older before they begin reading to them.

Reading to your child has many benefits. The most important, of course, is building a close bond with your child. Make your reading sessions a nightly habit. Soon, this habit will turn into an important aspect of your child’s character. Reading with your child has life-long benefits, which include development of a longer attention span, listening skills and imagination. Pre-school children who learn the language by hearing words and listening to sentences tend to do well in school.

This assertion parallels the results from a Rhode Island study that compared two groups of 8-month-old babies. The parents of one group read to them while the other group’s parents did not. The study revealed that the group of babies who listened to their parents read aloud to them understood more words since babyhood than the other group of babies.

A life-long interest in reading leads to development of life-long skills in learning, which involves listening skills. Along with learning skills, children also develop their creativity and curiosity. As a result, children who read books more often perform better in school.