What topic do you think you can google and find links from educators, researchers, pediatricians, psychologists, psychiatrists, parents, grandparents and everybody in between all saying the same thing?  Try typing - benefits of reading - children and see what you find.  As you begin to open the many links that are listed, you will soon see that reading to children, helping them develop literacy skills and helping them foster an interest and passion for independent reading is one of the most beneficial and powerful gifts you can give them. Here are some details you will find from your search: (www.abc-canada.org) • Reading and telling stories to a child are powerful stimuli for brain development in the early years.
• Reading to children more that once a day has a substantial positive impact on their future academic skills.
• Reading aloud to children will typically increase their level of attachment, security and general sense of being valued.
• Having a parent or caregiver read aloud to a child helps him or her learn listening skills, vocabulary and language skills as well as imagination and creativity.
• Reading can increase a child’s social skills. For example, having a parent, grandparent, or older sibling read a story to a child can be a wonderful opportunity to spend quiet, relaxed time together in order to share ideas, connect with one another and ultimately enhance the relationship.
Newsflash: The more a child reads, the better they will become at reading – the rich get richer.  So… what are some ideas to get kids hooked on reading.
• The more children are read to, the greater their interest will be in learning to read.  Reading out loud exposes them to proper grammar and phrasing and helps them with the development of their own verbal skills
• When reading to a young child, point to the word you are reading to.  This will help them make the connection that reading English moves from left to right and will help them recognize that the word you say is the word you see on the page.
• Create a print rich environment – help them choose material they will enjoy. • One of my favourite tips as someone who loves food  – read recipes together, read food and product labels, cook with your child to develop literacy skills, make a family cookbook together.
• Model reading to your child - let him or her see you reading for pleasure, reading to learn things.
• Make regular trips to the local library with your children
• Encourage older children to read to younger siblings/children.  Older children often enjoy demonstrating their skill. They will feel proud and want to read more.
• Establish a special place for your child to keep his or her own books.
The list of facts and tips can go on and on. You will find them all in your Google search.
Putting all this information aside, perhaps one of the most magical elements of reading to children is that it can open up a world of imagination, of fantasy, of reality that can be a lifelong source of pleasure and creativity. If you would ask me – What’s in a book?  I would say:  Anything and everything – the possibilities and benefits are endless. Go pick up that book … Enjoy.