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We all know that reading benefits our lives in so many ways. Scientific evidence suggests that reading to your child brings a lot of advantages to their future growth, understanding and interaction with the world. 

Research suggests that toddlers whose parents read for them, manage better as they transition into independent reading and writing. Reading to your toddler will help them to develop essential book reading skills, from turning a page, reading left to right or right to left, to mastering the spelling of their own names. After toddlerhood, these skills will translate into improved knowledge and confidence when your young one is forging his or her individual path in life.

Here are some of the key benefits that your toddler can gain from engaging in daily reading time:

1. Fast-tracked development of reading skills
2. Improved language skills
3. Enriched communication skills
4. Enhanced understanding of the world
5. Greater creativity and imagination
6. Higher levels of emotional intelligence
7. Increased empathy and understanding of others
8. Enhanced concentration
9. Improved parent child bonding
10. Wider culture

Reading stories to your toddler can be challenging at times, as they often don’t like to sit still and partake in quiet reading time. But reading doesn’t have to be boring and can be perceived as fun if you get creative and choose the right books that hold the interest of your little one. Try giving your toddler the option to choose the book, and depending on the age of your toddler, opt for books that are simple with plenty of images, easy to read text in order to get them to interact with the book. To make story time more fun you can try substituting your toddler’s name for the character’s name and get animated, sing along, clap and talk about the illustrations.

Dr Ziad Abi Akar

Pediatrician

^{https://www.sanctuarylearning.com.au/blog/the-nine-notable-benefits-of-reading-to-toddlers}