Dear Editor,

Reading gives your child many benefits. For some this is common knowledge but when the children were asked at Forks Elementary in 2018 how many times they were read aloud each week it was shown to be less than recommended. When surveyed, 65 percent of children in kindergarten, 53.6 percent of children in first grade, 70 percent of children in second grade and 77 percent of students in third grade said they were read less than four days a week at home. According to the Becoming a Nation of Readers report,“ …the only most important activity to build knowledge is to read aloud to children.” Reading aloud is also intertwined with strengthening social, emotional and personal trait development in giving them a wider range of vocabulary by helping them express their feelings more acutely.

However, facing this issue can be quite simple. There are many ways to present the benefits of reading to children. One of these ways is to read out loud to them as soon as they are born, at least four days a week and continue through their elementary years. Another great way to help your child stay ahead is to participate in a more formal and social way is to go to the public library for reading time and to participate in its programming such as the summer reading program. Reading to your child takes time, but it is a vital way to help them stay up to date in a social and academic way for the rest of their lives.

Madelyn Archibald, Class of 2020, Girl Scout Troop 42116