This post contains a sponsored inclusion of Penguin Random House, but all of the opinions within are those of The Everymom editorial board.
"One of the greatest gifts that we can give to our children as parents and caregivers is a love of reading. Not only is it a bonding experience between us, but it is also the foundation that builds so many of the lifelong skills that our children need to succeed. From language and literacy to social development to a lifelong love of learning, opening the world of books to our children at an early age fosters so many benefits for them.
Even as we grow out of our childhood years, the experience of cracking open a new book and losing ourselves in a world outside of our own never loses its magic. Within a book, imagination comes alive, anything can be possible, and we can learn about the world in endless ways. That’s why reading is so much more than a gift—it’s the key that unlocks a world of possibilities and growth.
So today, we’re sharing some of the benefits of early reading and a few of our favorite books to foster a love for reading in children from their earliest days.
Reading Supports Language Development and Literacy
The first three years of life are the most critical for language development. Research shows that reading to children from birth helps stimulate brain development and serves as the first building block for language skills.
We wouldn’t expect our children to open a book and know how to read immediately. It starts with recognizing sounds and patterns and is followed by understanding letters, learning how those letters form words, piecing together how those words form sentences, and so on. Reading from the earliest age is just the start. Continuing to read throughout childhood and engage little ones with books will keep them on the path to a lifelong love of reading.
Paul Friedrich
A creative take on the classic ABC book, this story brings the alphabet to life through fun dialogue and an engaging plot. Zebra and Yak: The Backwards Alphabet Book is a great way for early readers to practice their foundational reading skills while enjoying Friedrich’s signature quick pacing and clever humor.
Deborah Diesen
Repetition helps with language development, so swim along as the pout-pout fish tells all his friends why he spreads the “dreary wearies”—and then learns that maybe he’s actually more cheery than he thought.
Reading Together Strengthens Parent-Child Relationships
If there’s one thing our children want, it’s our attention. Reading together provides an opportunity to step away from the distractions of life and spend quality time uninterrupted.
Giving our children this kind of undivided attention promotes closeness and helps develop their social-emotional skills. Incorporating a bedtime story or two into your nightly routine gives kids something to look forward to and allows them to end their day on a positive note, surrounded by our physical and emotional love and affection.
Patrice Karst, Joanne Lew-Vriethoff
In this relatable and reassuring contemporary classic, a mother tells her two children that they’re all connected by an invisible string. “That’s impossible!” the children insist, but still they want to know more: “What kind of string?” The answer is the simple truth that binds us all: an Invisible String made of love.
Cori Doerrfeld
With its easy-to-follow storyline and irresistibly sweet illustration, The Rabbit Listened is about how to comfort and heal the people in your life by taking the time to carefully, lovingly, and gently listen.
Reading Teaches Social-Emotional Skills
We all know that learning to read takes time. Similarly, emotional intelligence is also learned as our children grow and hit different milestones. Reading helps even the youngest of children start to recognize feelings and emotions through pictures, dialogue, and narration in books. Through reading, kids can learn to understand others, develop empathy, and see themselves in the characters in the story.
As with pretend play through a book, a child can become a princess, slay dragons, or be the star athlete. In this new world, they also learn about kindness, setbacks, perseverance, and so many of life’s other emotions and experiences.
For kids who want to step into the princess role, Princess Diana from the Little People, Big Dreams Series goes beyond the fairytale—diving into lessons about kindness, struggle, confidence, and recovery. Have a little athlete on your hands? Let them play the role of a superstar through Leo Messi, which details Messi’s rise to the top despite many obstacles and setbacks.
Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara
Children can learn about how a real life princess spent her life being kind and trying to make the world a better place with this book about Princess Diana and her life.
Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara
Let your little one step into the role of one of the world’s best and most famous soccer players with this book. They’ll learn all about how Leo Messi overcame struggles to become who many consider to be the greatest of all time.
Reading Can Introduce Diversity and Perspective
Books are filled with characters that can help kids understand all types of people, even ones who are different from them. Through storylines, kids can put themselves in other characters’ shoes and see the world through a new lens.
Reading goes well beyond the words in the book. It introduces kids to concepts including respect, empathy, curiosity, perspective, and so much more.
Sophie Beer
This book celebrates all of the diverse and beautiful ways there are to be a family and reminds us all that love is the most important ingredient in any family.
Lupita Nyong’o
Beautiful illustrations accompany the story of a young girl’s journey to accept and love herself. Sulwe’s story can teach children about how to recognize their inner beauty and accept what makes them unique.
Reading Builds Concentration
Anyone with a young child knows that getting them to sit still is nearly impossible. In the days of screens, technology, and jumping from one thing to the next, reading helps children learn concentration and discipline as they focus on a story. It’s normal for kids to squirm, but the more you read to them, the more you’ll see them focusing on the story and building on their concentration abilities.
Julia Donaldson
The Gruffalo is a sweet and whimsical story about a mouse in a deep dark wood who encounters someone he never expected to meet. With repetition and rhyme, little ones will want to read it over and over.
Jane Yolen
Who knew that dinosaur kids were so similar to human kids when it comes to bedtime? Put a playful spin on bedtime antics by reading all the ways dinosaurs might just try to avoid bedtime.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jaclyn Voran, Contributing Writer
Jaclyn joined The Everymom team as a Contributing Writer in 2020. She brings a strong editorial background as a freelance writer, including being published in The Atlantic. She holds a Master’s degree in Journalism from Northwestern University, and a Bachelor of Science in Journalism and a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Kansas.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Steph Alleva Cornell, Branded Content Editor
Since becoming a young mama in 2020, Steph has found joy in creating beautiful yet relatable content surrounding the raw realities of motherhood. She believes showcasing both the wonders and struggles of being a parent helps other mothers understand that they are not alone in their journey.
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This post contains a sponsored inclusion of Penguin Random House, but all of the opinions within are those of The Everymom editorial board. We only recommend products we genuinely love.