Stories play an absolutely vital role in our growth and development. The books we read and the characters we get to know can become real friends! Reading is a joy on many levels. Here are just a few examples of how good it is for you!
Confidence
Children who can read well are more likely to have higher confidence levels! Another part of building confidence and self-esteem is knowing where you fit into the world. Stories can help with this process by showing us what people’s lives are like, where they live and how things are different or the same in other parts of the world.
Language
Stories are a great way to introduce new words and ideas into our language – starting with picture books for when we are young, working up to more complex novels for when we become teenagers.
Learning
Stories are useful for teaching more complex ideas, such as the importance of sharing, the passage of time and compassion for others. They can be useful when trying to explain and understand traumatic or difficult events.
Empathy
Fiction based on real-life can also help us with our own life experiences – it shows us how diverse the world is and that some people’s lives are vastly different to ours. We can learn about a variety of different people all with their own wonderful stories and journeys, from the comfort of our own sofas!
Relaxation
Reading stories allows us to forget the stresses and strains of the day and indulge in a fantasy world for a while! The soothing familiarity of a much-loved story, the rhyming and repetition in a picture book, plus the sense of security that time spent reading together with loved ones can foster, all help us to relax.
Development of Imagination
Stories help to develop our imagination by introducing new ideas into our worlds – ideas about fantastical worlds, other planets, different points in time and invented characters. They encourage us to realise that we can, and should, imagine anything we want!
Coping With Feelings
When we read stories that contain feelings it can help us understand and accept our own feelings. It helps us understand that there are other children who feel the same way and that we are not alone. This helps us to understand that feelings are normal and should be expressed. )
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