The early signs are that my son loves a good book.
Of course, a “good,” book at 10 months old is one with bright pictures and textured pages rather than a gripping crime thriller or an old classic. Nonetheless, I love to see him reading.
According to research, 2/3 of children aged between 2 and 12 read for fun once a week. Is it greedy to hope he wants to read more than that?
On a long list of things I wish for my son, a lifelong love of books is up there. Not only did I get so much enjoyment out of books myself as a child (and continue to do so), but there are a host of benefits for children who read for fun.
In summary, children reading for fun will typically perform better at school. Reading appears to have more of an impact on a child’s cognitive development and educational performance than the educational level of their parents.
And let’s not underplay the importance of a hobby that isn’t one involving a large screen and a games console.
Some of Oliver’s favourite things are his books. He’s only 10 months and his interests will change. But we do spend a lot of time reading to Oliver and often now find him picking his own books up to peruse alone. It’s been like that since he was around 5 or 6 months.
Here’s hoping it continues into his school years and beyond.
