Reading books to children from an early age is an important part of parenting. Not only will it help in the bonding process, it will help your child develop his or her speech and language abilities. Children learn by looking at the pictures and then hearing how the word is pronounced. Later on they can recognize these words independently.

Reading can prepare your child for the experience of being in a classroom. By listening to you read, they learn how to focus and pay attention to what is being said. This is a necessary skill a child must have before he can be considered ready for school. A lot of children, from toddlers to school age, enjoy having a story read to them at bed time. Sometimes, a child will want to hear the same story night after night. They have a favorite story book and they never seem to grow tired of reading it.

A book can provide a child with a whole new perspective on the world, help him to empathize with other people, and fuel his imagination. A child can learn about the world he lives in by reading books on other countries, how our society evolved by reading history books, and the nature of the universe by reading books on science and geography. Different ideas garnered from books can open a child's mind to different concepts and ways of thinking, and encourage him to form his own opinions and learn to think independently. This will give him self-confidence and leadership ability.

Today, in the age of video games and television, reading books is more important than ever before. A lot of professionals believe video and television contributes to Attention Deficient Disorder because children can just push a button when things get boring or are not going their way. They are not taught to develop focus or imagination. I believe imagination is one of the most important traits we can develop in our children. Not only does it make life richer, it can open doors in adult life. A lot of professional careers require a person to investigate different ways of doing things and approaching problems from an unusual perspective.

I feel that books are important from the cradle to the grave. We never stop learning as human beings and books are an integral source of that learning.