The best gift, anyone can give, is a book. It can be opened and read again and again. A book is considered a child’s best friend for it can be an enriching companion of a child which not only entertains but helps a child in enhancing vocabulary, and fluency, and opening new vistas of imagination and creativity.
It is very important to inculcate the habit of reading in children from a very young age. There are several places in this world where reading to a child starts from the day he is born. The idea may sound weird but it has many benefits. It becomes a part of his daily routine as a child and it also strengthens the parental bond.
Reading is actually making meaning from what is printed. It requires that we: Identify the words in print and the process is called word recognition. We deduce an understanding from them which is known as comprehension. It coordinates identifying words and making meaning so that reading is automatic and accurate – an achievement called fluency. The whole concept of reading actually is imperative in a child’s progress.
The practice of reading aloud helps in comprehension and retention. Many a time the same book is read time and again as re-reading helps in building fluency and better understanding. Reading matures you, gives you knowledge/ ideas, builds your writing style, and gives you confidence. Reading makes you wiser and a better human.