The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go! 

Do you know who wrote that famous quote?

Dr. Seuss! And March 2 is his birthday.  He would be 112-years-old! Now, Theodore Seuss Geisel was not actually a doctor. He added the title while in college in an effort to appear more credible in his writing, and to impress his father.

Most of us would agree–he impressed more than his father with his 60 plus books. What Dr. Seuss did was make reading fun. But fun isn’t the only thing that happens to a child when you read.

Reading has many benefits: It

• stimulates cognitive and language skills. And reading aloud helps a child learn language even before he or she can talk.
• provides parents a way to nurture their children. Sitting on the bed, cuddled together, reading a bed time story is quality time with a child. And that pleasant time is associated with books- which makes reading a positive activity.
• exposes children to stories and adventures. And this stimulates imagination and expands their world.
• allows a child to practice listening, a skill they will need the rest of their lives.
• helps a child build empathy and awareness of how others feel which helps them relate to people.
• helps a child become more fluent readers and thus, better communicators.

So if you want to help your child academically and emotionally, read, read read…or to quote Dr. Seuss,

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose!”

Parents, teachers, grandparents, siblings, day care workers –let’s steer children to the joy of reading! And yes, that includes reading Bible stories and God adventures as well. Not only will the child benefit academically, but this places the Word of God in their hearts!