5 Reasons Why It’s Important To Read Stories To Your Kids – bababaa

The mind of a child is full of possibilities and endless adventure. Remembering when we ourselves were young, most of us can recall times where we pretended to be heroes or heroines in our favourite stories told to us by our parents, grandparents, and teachers. Even today, many of us can still remember how these stories played out and the excitement and thrill we got from escaping to a made-up world, even if just for a little while.

Yes, most of us have been raised with amazing stories and it’s no surprise that we’ve continued the tradition by reading them to our little ones before bed or using them to teach valuable life lessons daily.

But aside from being fun and memorable, what else is so great about the act of storytelling? And more importantly, how do they benefit a child’s development during the early years?

Communication Skills

When a child hears a story, they’re listening to words and sounds either spoken verbally by a storyteller or mentally in their heads after reading them from a book or a screen.

In the case of babies and toddlers who can’t read, the voice of the storyteller becomes their guide to understanding the definition of words, the relationship between sounds and real-world objects, and all the small differences in voice tone and vocal inflections (high pitched laughter, soft whispers, growling, etc) and how they convey different emotions.

These are things that aren’t traditionally taught, but rather only picked up through genuine human-to-human interaction—which is exactly what stories are based upon. Even if they’re sometimes exaggerated with outlandish elements such as talking animals, magic, or giant spaceships, these stories are one of the most fun ways a young child can pick up verbal skills that they can use to relate with other people for the rest of their lives.

Learn New Words

Then there’s the opportunity for babies and toddlers to quickly pick up new words to add to their vocabulary. From very early on, children already have ways to process the words they hear and relate them to the real world. Remember when your kid said his or her first words like “mama” or “papa” and then went on to learn much more?

Every parent knows that if you repeat a word enough, a child will eventually learn its meaning and store it in memory to be used in future conversations. The cycle continues as the child develops a love for reading and then moves on to more complicated story books to learn bigger and bolder words.

So, the earlier you start reading stories to your little ones, the bigger the advantage they’ll have as they begin going to school and chatting with other humans around them.

Inspires Imagination

Imagination is a powerful thing. It births creativity to solve problems, inspires people to achieve their goals, and is the driving force behind every great invention that we’ve ever seen or will see in the future.

Thus, it’s easy to see why telling our kids stories is so important. If you want them to become creative and inspired individuals, it’s a good idea to regularly crack open a great story book and read them tales of heroic acts or larger-than-life achievements. Whether these stories are well-loved classics or modern epics, a child can always find something within these stories to inspire them for years to come.

Show The World Through Stories

Many stories that we read to our kids involve places from across the globe or places completely foreign to us, such as the setting of Aladdin that closely resembles an old kingdom the Middle East or the forest in Winnie The Pooh. Which is why even before babies and toddlers get the chance to see the world in person, they can begin experiencing them via storytelling.

There are hundreds if not thousands of children’s story books that open a child’s eyes to new worlds and cultures, and it never hurts if a child gets to know more about a culture from a different country or about the different types of fishes under the sea just by hearing about them from a story book.

Stories are just as much about learning as they are about fun!

Makes Them Better Humans

Last but not least, stories have much to teach a child about becoming a better person. Many of us who still remember favourite stories from childhood will realize that these tales shaped our moral compass and can also expect the same to happen if we do the same for our kids.

While we as adults might find lessons in kid’s stories to be cliché and over-repeated, a child who is still learning about life and how the world works will be tremendously impacted by the amazing deeds and acts of love, bravery, and generosity shown by the characters inside them.

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If you’re thinking of fitting in more story time into your kid’s schedule, nothing is more important than having a great story book to read from. And if you’re looking for a great storybook to read along with your little one, our latest addition to the family might just be the one to go with!

Bawang Putih & Bawang Merah is a modern classic about a girl named Bawang Putih, the struggles she faces growing up with her wicked stepsister Bawang Merah, and her journey to find happiness. Filled with magical encounters and a charming plot, the book also comes feature packed with pressable sound clips, music, and bi-lingual narration in Bahasa and English to make the story experience a truly immersive one.

Curious to know more? Find out more about Bawang Putih & Bawang Merah here!