The rhymes of Dr. Seuss. 

The laughter from Elephant and Piggie. 

The fashion in Fancy Nancy.  

The intelligence of Hermione Granger. 

The adventures of Percy Jackson. 

The thrill from The Hunger Games.

The person I am today would not be the same without these pieces in my life; the characters, lessons and pure enjoyment that came from my early love of reading has truly shaped my values and identity. 

Unfortunately, fewer and fewer children throughout the nation are embracing this important childhood experience, leading to numerous negative intellectual and psychological effects that are detrimental to our society. Parents need to step in now in order to help their children by introducing the world of literacy to their young kids.

According to literacyproj.org, only one third of fourth graders reach the proficient reading level in America. Furthermore, Professor of Pediatrics and Chief of the Division of Developmental Pediatrics at University of Texas Dr. Susan Landry found in her research that 37 percent of children arrive in kindergarten without the skills necessary for lifetime learning. 

These flaws in proficiency can be directly connected to a lack of reading. The National Center for Education Statistics found that young kids who read frequently are more likely to write their own name and count to 20 (or higher than less frequent readers). Additionally, according to sacklerinstitute.org, children who have less exposure to colors, touch, interaction with adults, sights, sounds and language — all found in books — actually have smaller brains. 

The crisis in child development has a simple solution that every family can put into action easily. A simple bedtime story or 20-minute reading rule should be a standard in households if parents want their children to thrive.

Furthermore, according to the book Meaningful Differences in the Everyday Experience of Young American Children by Dr. Betty Hart and Dr. Todd Risley, the academic success of children ages 9 to 10 can be linked to the amount of talk they hear from birth through age 3. Author Jim Trelease also found that children’s books actually contain 50 percent more words than the amount that would be encountered in normal conservation or on television. This means that the children who are exposed earlier to books, rather than screens, will have greater academic achievement in the future, something that children will surely thank their parents for later on.

Possibly the most important benefit of reading in children is the positive impact it has on mental health. According to greatergood.berkley.edu, children who read for pleasure have not only improved cognitive skills but fewer overall mental health issues. 

Today, as children in America suffer from depression, anxiety, learning deficiencies, illiteracy and other crises, a solution as simple as reading may seem silly — but the difference it can make in a child’s psychological and developmental health may surprise you. While it’s never too late to start reading, it is essential that parents are aware of the benefits that early reading can have for their children so they can take the first step to ensure a happy and healthy life for their kids.