It’s no secret that parents want what’s best for their children. There are thousands of toys, games and books out there that promise to help you give your children everything they need to learn the skills they need to make it in this world. Many parents are willing to do or spend whatever it takes to give their children a competitive edge. Which is why you may be surprised by the results of several recent studies which cite the simple act of having books at home and reading to children as one of the most important indicators of scholarly success worldwide!

One study from the US National Institutes of Health showed that “children who are read to, starting from just days old, have higher memory skills, motivation, and curiosity by age one. By the time those kids hit preschool, they have a six-month developmental edge on their peers – an edge that lasts a lifetime.”

Another study which was published in the June edition of the scholarly journal Research in Social Stratification and Mobility offers remarkable data that having many books at home is one of the strongest indicators of educational success. This extensive international study was based on over 70,000 case studies in 27 countries. Astonishing results showed that “Children growing up in homes with many books get 3 years more schooling than children from bookless homes, independent of their parents’ education, occupation, and class. This is as great an advantage as having university educated rather than unschooled parents, and twice the advantage of having a professional rather than an unskilled father. It holds equally in rich nations and in poor; in the past and in the present; under Communism, capitalism, and Apartheid; and most strongly in China.”

At Bilingual Readers we strongly believe that one of the most important things you can do to create the kind of healthy environment that promotes early literacy skills is to read to and with your children on a daily basis. Language development and early literacy skills go hand in hand, so by reading aloud to your children you’ll not only be giving them the tools they’ll need to learn to read in the future, you’ll also be expanding their vocabulary and knowledge of the languages they’re learning right now. Just 15 to 20 minutes a day of reading time is all it takes to develop these skills and, more importantly, a love of reading that will last a lifetime.