March 1, 2019Nights Spent Reading Means a Life of Succeeding! Grab your kids, get them close to you, and crack open a book like Horton Hears a Who! March 2nd is Read Across America Day, where the nation celebrates the joys of reading and honors the legendary children’s author Dr. Seuss. Seuss himself understood the importance of reading to a growing mind, but do you? Not only is it a good way to spend quality time with your children, reading aloud to them has tangible benefits. The obvious ones are that it builds a bond between you and your child, as well as strengthens their vocabulary, but it also strengthens their emotional and social development, as well. Children who read with their parents, starting from birth to just three years of age, are less likely to develop problems with attention, or problems with aggressive or hyperactive behavior. Alan Mendelsohn, the author of a 2018 study on reading to children, says that “when parents read with their children more . . . they learn to use words to describe feelings that are otherwise difficult and this enables them to better control their behavior when they have challenging feelings like anger or sadness.” The next time that you read to your child, take your time – look at the pictures, ask questions, and make it fun! Doing so will bring you closer together and help foster a lifelong love for reading that will help lead your child to the success you want for them. Written by Parker Sams