Read Across America Day: Benefits of Reading to Your Kids Cedars-Sinai Skip to content Close Select your preferred language English عربى 简体中文 繁體中文 فارسي עִברִית 日本語 한국어 Русский Español Tagalog Menu Close Call 1-800-CEDARS-1 toggle search form Close Share Email Print CS-Blog Cedars-Sinai Blog Doctor' s Orders Read Early and Often Mar 01, 2017 Cedars-Sinai Staff Share Tweet Post Whether wrinkling noses at green eggs and ham, giggling at the antics of a mischief-making cat, or musing over the places they'll go, millions of children rely on Theodore Geisel (aka Dr. Seuss) for bedtime stories. Today marks the beloved author's 113th birthday, and children across the country will celebrate Read Across America Day. Cracking a book to read at bedtime or anytime with your children is a great idea—and smart health habit—even if they're babies, says Dr. Charles Simmons, chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Cedars-Sinai’s Maxine Dunitz Children’s Health Center. Dr. Simmons's favorite Dr. Seuss books? Green Eggs and Ham and Oh! The Places You'll Go! The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends you start reading to your children as infants. (And they built this early literacy toolkit to help!) "Dr. Seuss's legacy is linked with this important issue of reading to your child and contributes to the bigger topic of cognitive development," Dr. Simmons says. "Reading and speech skills are increasingly important to develop, especially in this era of technology." This is true even before your child is beginning on their ABCs. The first three years of childhood are crucial to development in the parts of the brain that handle communication. Read: COACH for Kids Delivers Healthcare to Communities Across LA Dr Simmons has a few tips for parents on how and why to read to kids Build speech skills Story time gives children a chance to hear how letters and words sound and helps them learn new words and how to say them. Help with brain development In the first three years of childhood, reading is critically important for how fast the brain develops in the communication areas. Build your bond Reading a lot to your child can create repetition, trust, and predictability. These are all good for little ones. A bedtime reading ritual can lead to deeper family connections and a lifetime love of reading. Clue in to how your child is developing Reading is not only cognitively therapeutic, it can be a valuable diagnostic tool. You'll get a sense of how they're able to focus, how well they're able to understand a story, and how their speech is coming along. Help kids develop emotionally Talking about the emotions of the characters in the story can give you a chance to talk to kids about their own feelings, like being happy, sad, or mad. Ask questions while you read Asking about what characters are thinking or what might happen next is a fun way for kids to learn. It also helps build language skills, instills a desire to learn, and supports early reading skills. It's never too early to start and kids are never too old for reading together Just as reading to babies is a valuable start, children will benefit from reading with you even when they can read on their own. Try books at a higher reading level to encourage continued growth. Dr. Simmons's favorite Dr. Seuss books? Green Eggs and Ham and Oh! The Places You'll Go! As Seuss said in the latter, "You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose." Reading to your children early and often will help steer their brains and their feet in the right direction. Tags Pediatrics Children's Health Share Tweet Post Popular Categories Health + Wellness Science + Innovation Community Blog & Magazines catalyst Blog & Magazines Home CS-Blog Blog CS Magazine Cedars-Sinai Magazine discoveries magazine Discoveries Magazine Embracing our Community Embracing Our Community Blog & Magazines catalyst Blog & Magazines Home CS-Blog Blog Embracing our Community Embracing Our Community CS Magazine Cedars-Sinai Magazine discoveries magazine Discoveries Magazine Popular Topics Cancer Women's Health Heart Expert Advice Patient Stories Brain Make an Appointment Find a Doctor Schedule a Callback Call us 24 hours a day 1-800-CEDARS-1 Support Cedars-Sinai Make a Gift Volunteer Share Email Print Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility