Reading is one of the most important keys for language development. Reading out loud teaches children what words are supposed to sound like: it teaches them to connect sounds with letters. The more words a baby hears, for example, the broader their vocabulary at age 3. Yes, you can simply talk to your infant to boost how many words they hear, but reading gives you words so that you don't have to think of things to say, and it teaches the baby new words. When you read to your child one-on-one, it adds to their perception of reading as a positive, nurturing activity. Not only that, it has been proven that reading out loud helps children cope with trauma. Reading out loud helps children return to reading later in life, both because it reminds them of happy times with parents and because it helped them through a hard time. Difficulty reading leads to failure in school, which of course leads to problems later in life. Exposing children to reading even before they can read exposes them to words and experiences they would have never received in daily life, which lays the foundation for them to be familiar with concepts they will later learn in school. Failure in school leads to social problems like delinquency, teen pregnancy, and substance abuse. Reading out loud familiarizes children with experiences they would not otherwise be exposed to, giving them knowledge before they ever enter school. It also teaches them to have a bigger vocabulary, which can help them get further in life. For example, teachers tend to pay attention to kids who have better reading comprehension than the rest of class, and often provide them with access to books at higher levels of reading, giving a child more knowledge than other students. Reading to a child provides you with an opportunity for a child to look up to you because when you are excited about reading, a child will be too. You set the example for your child to become a reader, and when they engage with reading over time, they turn to you for help. Reading out loud provides children with a world they can imagine, even when the book already contains pictures. Books give children ideas, characters, and settings outside of their experience, which they often will explore when playing “pretend.”

Summary:
Decide to help children develop language skills. Try to create a positive view of books and reading. Attempt to build a foundation for success in school. Try to give a child social context and knowledge. Be a role model. Try to encourage a child's imagination.