Reading a book at any age is a great way to stimulate your brain, but it is the most beneficial for young children. Reading expands a child’s imagination by giving them the tools to cope with real-life situations, widening their knowledge of the world, and giving them valuable bonding time with their parents. Through continuous reading, a child can heighten their brain’s capacity and stimulate their intelligence.

Listening to Stories Boosts Interpersonal and Intrapersonal Intelligence

Interpersonal intelligence refers to the ability to interact with other people, while intrapersonal is the relationship one has with oneself. Books present many different types of characters, and through interactions with either each other or objects, a plot is formed. When your child indulges in these plots, they begin to understand why certain characters react the way they do, and the reason for specific actions. When a child sees a character go through a challenge that is similar to the challenges they face in their own life, it helps them to work through their problems. If you read to your child, you can work through these issues together.

Listening to Stories Early Develops Literacy, Vocabulary & Comprehension

A child can gain cognitive skills like numeracy through bedtime stories. These are essential tools in a child’s development, and through routine practice, you increase your child’s potential to have a better relationship with these skills later on in life. Books, as opposed to everyday conversations, present vocabulary that is more diverse and vibrant, which helps teach a child new ideas.

Reading out loud to kids is very common when they are younger, especially in regards to picture books. As they get older, you should encourage your child to read books without pictures on their own. Through independent reading, a child can intensify their imagination and deepen their visualization skills. These skills are beneficial for many jobs in a variety of industries.

You must read or let your child read bedtime stories from a handful of different genres. Through exposure to various subject matter, a child can diversify their vocabulary. Additionally, multiple genres are useful for sparking inquisitiveness in your child. This curiosity is one of the most significant benefits of fables and, with regular reading, a child will become more attuned to the world around them as they will ask more questions.

A child that is asking many questions is a child that is constantly learning. As they read and hear more stories, they will absorb more information. As they become more familiar with different concepts and complex scenarios, you can increase the difficulty of the books they read. Providing your child with literature and stories gives them an opportunity for exploration and adventure within the home.

Benefits of Listening to Audio

Interestingly enough listening to stories shares the same benefits and, in some cases even more:

• Increases reading accuracy by 52%
• Increases reading speed, expands vocabulary and improves fluency
• Teaches pronunciation
• Improves comprehension by 76%
• Increases test scores by 21% when engaged in multi-modal learning.

Furthermore:

• 27% of the Kindergarten to Year 12 population are what are described as auditory learners
• Students can listen and comprehend two grade levels above their reading level when regularly listening to audiobooks
• Combining print and audio increases recall by 40% over print alone

The Audio Publishers Association (APA) puts it this way: "Audiobooks build and enhance vital literacy skills such as fluency, vocabulary, language acquisition, pronunciation, phonemic awareness, and comprehension—skills that often boost reading scores.”

Regardless of the method you choose to expose your children to reading and literacy activities, it is clear of the benefits it has, not only academically, but also emotionally, and socially. By diversifying your child's reading material, you provide opportunities for them to learn and develop their intelligence in different ways. These lessons will allow them future success both in and out of the classroom.