All children enjoy being read to, and reading to them actually improves their language development on so many levels. They learn to listen and anticipate that all the words will create an interesting story. They learn that stories have a beginning, a middle, and an end. They learn that books hold all kinds of information, and they notice that words are found everywhere, on cereal boxes, newspapers, street signs and buildings. They learn that a cook book tells you how to make something. They see that older children and grown ups read all kinds of things to find out all kinds of information.
All of these things reinforce their literary appreciation. As they get older they begin to realize that they can create their own stories. If they have access to books, magazines, and newspapers in the home, and see parents and siblings reading, they learn how to use these resources when they want to find information or create their own stories.
Inevitably they will discover the joy of reading – reading for pure enjoyment. They will see they can travel anywhere and experience all kinds of situations just by opening a book. They will meet characters so interesting they won’t be able to put the book down. And it all started when you read them that first story!