From a young age reading has a profound impact on a child’s development, social skills and language. When fathers read to their children it also provides valuable bonding time to strengthen your relationship with your child.
Research has found that fathers who read to their children at age two had predicted better language development at age four.
Research found when mothers read to their children, they tend to focus more on the events in the book, prompting the children by asking them to name the object, the colour and what they see. Whereas fathers tend to relate events in the book to outside contexts and their child’s own experiences. For example, if there is a pool pictured, fathers will relay a memory of when they swam in a pool. This different thinking is said to expand a child’s way of learning and creates positive challenges.
Fathers, you are a role model, especially to boys. If the only person they ever see reading to them is their mother or (usually) female teacher, they start to see reading as a female activity. Fathers reading helps to prevent this belief. When your child sees you reading, or when you read to them, you set a good example and tells them reading is important and valuable.
Top tips:
- Make a bedtime story a nightly routine – if you don’t live with your child you can still make this happen via Facetime or a phone call.
- Slow down and really enjoy stories together – cherish the time together.
- Have fun with voices, expression and sound effects your child can join is as well.
- Ask questions during the story – “What do you think might happen next?”, “How do you think that made them feel?”
- Share the reading or story telling even if your child can’t read the words yet.
- All reading is good reading – reading instructions, signs, online stories, fiction, non-fiction.
