Having grown up in bookshops thanks to my mum working in one for most of her adult life, books have always been a big art of my life. Whether it was evenings being dropped off just before closing, popping in while my mum worked on weekends or working in one myself when I was old enough, bookshops have often felt like a little bit of home.
When I had children of my own, I started to look for books that I remembered form my own childhood, and LOVED reading them to my eldest daughter (even if she had no idea what I was saying at that point in time!). As she learned to understand me better and actually say some of her own words, I really started to think about the role books may have played in her development.
What I found was amazing, reading to young children isn't just a lovely ritual (though it absolutely is that too), it's one of the most powerful tools we have for their development.
Language Explosion
Research shows that children who are read to regularly hear significantly more words than their peers, sometimes thousands more per year. This isn't just about vocabulary size, it's about the quality of language they're exposed to. Books contain richer, more varied language patterns than everyday conversation. Dr. Roberta Golinkoff's research at the University of Delaware found that children who are read to regularly have better vocabulary, stronger phonological awareness, and develop stronger reading skills later on. The neural connections being formed are remarkable. Every word your child hears, every story you share, is literally building their brain architecture.
So Much More Than Words
But language development is just the beginning. When we read to children, we're doing something far more profound.
We're teaching empathy. When a child follows a character through a struggle (whether it's a bunny learning to be brave or a character learning to share)m they're developing what researchers call "theory of mind." They're learning to understand that other people have feelings, thoughts, and perspectives different from their own.
We're creating moments of connection.
The simple act of sitting together, your voice telling a story, and your child nestled against you builds attachment and security. These quiet moments are anchoring points in a child's day.
We're giving our children a safe space to explore big feelings. A character's fear of the dark, their sadness about change, or their joy in friendship become mirror and map for your child's own emotions.