To think reading to pre school aged dc isn’t that important

[TeenLifeMum]

I was led to believe that reading was the most important thing (I love reading and my job involves writing in different styles for different audiences so I’m not anti reading). Dd1 would sit for hours looking at books. Dd2 would only engage in a book it it had pop ups or something tactile. As she got a bit older we tried introducing reading before bed and she wasn’t interested. By age 8 she saw reading as a punishment.

She’s currently predicted a 9 at gcse. Dd1 (the one who reads at every opportunity) is predicted an 8.

I’m not saying don’t read to dc but I’m saying, to anyone with young dc struggling to be the perfect mum… chill. Love them, have fun with them and let them be them.

I'm not sure that's a statistically significant sample.

Lol YABU. Reading is important. I’m really confused, it’s a fluke in your situation and not representative at all.

@JaninaDuszejko I get that but I spent years worrying dc2 would struggle and now my dc are older I wish I’d stressed less about that stuff.

It is important though and pretending otherwise based on you're very small sample is unhelpful.

Of course it's not the most important thing you can do in term of raising a child but to deny it's importance is silly.

Is this a stealth boast post?

I'd say both of your children benefitted from the fact you read to them. I'm not sure it's an indicator of top GCSE grades. It will have improved their vocabulary and comprehension skills.

YANVVVU

I read to my dd from in the womb and so did my husband. As a result she grew up with that routine and a love of books

Hmmmmm. Hard disagree. Reading with your child teaches them vocabulary, thinking about characters' feelings and actions, it teaches them word recognition and patterns in sounds. If you're reading regularly, you're getting quality and close time away from distraction, it's incredibly important and is something every child deserves. And there are libraries, so many books!

@Daisywishes yes, but forcing a dc to read who hates it is not good. Many people have dc who don’t like reading.

I’m not saying it’s not important, just not the single most important thing and if your dc hates it then you can support literacy without reading hundreds of books when little. Supporting imagination then reading coming in later.

I also think that in busy schedules it's relatively easy one on one time with parents regardless of the educational benefit. It is also a reasonably cheap thing to do especially if there are local libraries / second hand shops.

No one is saying you have to force children to read? Even children who perhaps don't like reading much like listening to books.

Unfortunately none of my 4 like reading even though they loved being read to when they were little. As pp have said though reading to them does have other benefits.

Not loving reading doesn't seem to have done my adult dc any harm though

@Daisywishes yes, but forcing a dc to read who hates it is not good. Many people have dc who don’t like reading.

I have two dyslexic DC. Neither are avid readers but they enjoy audio books as they are easy to access.

I think there is an ongoing battle with getting kids to pick books over other devices, many adults have given up books since social media has taken off.

If we don't read to young children we are not instilling the potential love of reading/ stories and that is a crying shame.

I appreciate the sentiment as I can’t get 3 yo DS sat down long enough to do bloody anything read a book and it weighs heavy on my conscience. But overall I think there is pretty strong evidence for the benefit of reading to little kids. I agree with your last paragraph about letting them be them, you definitely can’t force things like reading…but I think your title is wrong
i’m afraid.

@Freshair1 but it’s not quality time if your dc hates it! I loved reading with dd1 - lovely, special times. She will still snuggle in bed and read next to me while I read at the age of 16. Dd2 reads a bit now but not a huge amount. Her vocabulary is excellent, her SATs were all greater depth. She’s just not interested in reading for fun. She has other interests - plays 2 instruments and is suddenly very academic. You can provide enrichment in a way dc enjoy it without stressing about what they don’t enjoy.

Reading is important.
As in being able to read and understand what something says and means.
Reading stories isn’t necessarily vital.
Some people just don’t like stories/novels. Don’t want to read them, don’t want to listen to them.
What is more important to be able to read -
Danger Warning Signs ?
Legal Documents ?
Instructions on medications ?
Harry Potter ?
If a child doesn’t want to sit and listen to/read a story then in the big scheme of things it’s not massively important.

YABU

Reading to children isn't the same as making them read, one of mine didn't want to sit and read but I memorised stories and poems to " read " to them at Bath time.

Reading to your child IS very important, you are wrong.

It's pretty unusual to find a child who actively dislikes stories and books to some degree. You say yourself that your dd2 enjoyed tactile, activity books.
Hearing stories in the early years is a great way to support language development, social interaction, empathy etc. etc. The end goal isn't necessarily to produce an 'avid reader'.
It sounds like you got waylaid by this for dd2. I'm wondering how dd2 came to see reading as a punishment unless there was a focus on that skill rather than pleasure?
My dd has never read for pleasure but loved being read to and loves audiobooks. She's dyslexic so reading was a massive effort. But she gained immensely from the experiences of listening to stories and looking at books without any pressure to read.

But many others don’t! Reading to a yet to be born child seems a bit extreme- like someone reading to you with your head underwater. However all children like a story and you can read more complex things to your own children than they’d be able to concentrate on at school or pre-school, so all good!

Read regularly to DS but he’s not much of a reader. Will take a book to relieve the boredom of a beach holiday but that’s about it!

I think it’s lovely for closeness and one-on-one time and winding down before sleep. I treasure being able to read to my children. I really do.

My DD2 isn’t as keen on me reading to her as DD1 is. She prefers reading to me! But I always make sure to read her a chapter of whatever the current “mummy” book is once she’s read me her little story book.

I think it’s so valuable in helping her understand new words, intonation and pronunciation. It also communicates the rhythm of speech and the flow of a story better than her reading to herself (she’s still young). There’s a music and a magic to being read to that allows children to stretch their imaginations too I think.

But mostly it’s nice to hunt out books that I know will spark her interest, and she has come to associate that little period of me reading to her with cuddles and calm.

I could go on (and on and on)- but reading to children is about so much more than their score in English exams years hence.

I know so much of parenting can be used as a stick to beat us with and I am very much of the “do what’s best for you and your family” school of parenting but I don’t think anyone can deny the value of reading to children.

Absolute rubbish. There is nothing nicer for a young child than to have the undivided attention of their parent and to enjoy a picture or story book together. It encourages a lifelong interest in learning, teaching a child how to look, listen and concentrate on even a basic story. There is always a suitable story format for every child

Okay, I’m happy I’m wrong. Dd2 literally wouldn’t sit for reading. The picture being painted here seems to be lots of parents who had dc who loved it… I get it, that was my experience with dd1. I think we’ve been able to fill the gap with other activities but maybe dd is a fluke.

Yes being able to read is really important. Reading fiction for pleasure is a hobby like any other!

Bur you've said yourself she did sit and listen when it was a tactile book is it's not that she wouldn't engage it's just he had a preference to a certain type of book.

Weird thread