Can Reading Twenty Minutes a Day Really Make a Difference?
Sue Halvarson and Meg Silva
Reading for many of our students can be a difficult and laborious task. Some students will not pick up a book to read for fun. However, research shows that reading for twenty minutes per day can improve your child’s reading skills and positively affect their academic success. Just like any other muscle in the body, the brain requires exercise to keep it strong and healthy. The more you practice, the better you get at something. Reading is no different!
The benefits of reading are more than just developing language and literacy skills. In fact, reading can help to improve writing skills. The more words that your child reads, the wider vocabulary they acquire. Research shows that a child is exposed to 1.8 million words each school year when they participate in daily reading! Having a more extensive vocabulary and exposing our students to rich language can assist in improving their writing skills.
Another benefit of reading is that it can enhance a child’s imagination and creativity. It can also promote social-emotional development and perspective-taking because children will learn about characters’ thoughts, feelings, problems, and reasons for their actions. Furthermore, children can learn about others in our world, which can stimulate curiosity, empathy, and compassion.
So, what can you do at home to help? We know that many of our students can’t do this alone and need our guidance to help them along the way. Reading aloud or with your child each day will assist in this endeavor. When you read aloud, you’re providing a model of fluent, expressive reading. In addition, you’re exposing them to vocabulary that they might not be able to decode, but with your direction and discussion, you can enrich their mind with new language that can lead to a better understanding of their world. This precious time spent together can nurture the love of reading and strengthen your family bonds.
Here are a few tips to consider when conducting a read-aloud:
- Allow your child to choose a book that interests them
- Connect the story to your child’s world
- Ask questions about the story and engage in a conversation about what they’re thinking
- Discuss the picture and build their vocabulary by talking about unknown words
- Make it fun and interactive
- Use technology to enhance the reading experience
For our reluctant readers who have not mastered unlocking the code of reading, take the time to spend with them. This small commitment of reading twenty minutes a day can help change the trajectory of their world.
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