Why You Should Read to Your Grandchildren

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To this day, I have children’s books that are inscribed in my grandmother’s distinctive handwriting, “To my beloved grandchildren with love from your grandmother”. In fact, other than dresses from long-shuttered I. Magnin department store, books are the only gifts I remember getting from her as a child.

My grandmother was not unique in sharing her love of books with her grandchildren: many of us do the same. And with good reason--books are an easy and meaningful way to connect generations. Whether they are asking us to read their favorite story, or we are sharing a book that their mother loved as a child, we are weaving connections to one another.

We know that sharing stories we love with our grandchildren helps us feel closer to them. But do you know just how much reading stories to your grandchildren helps them? It’s almost magical: Research has shown that reading to young children gives them a measurable head-start in life. In fact, reading to children is the single most important indicator of academic success for children.

A comprehensive study out of Australia found that, “The frequency of reading to children at a young age has a direct causal effect on their schooling outcomes regardless of their family background and home environment.”* The study showed that children who were read to the most tested up to a year ahead of their peers who did not have the same early exposure to books. 

How does reading have such a powerful effect? It boosts children’s development in a multitude of ways.

Language development

Children who are read five books a day enter kindergarten having heard 1.4 MILLION more words than children who aren’t read to.  Many of those words are ones that wouldn’t enter into a normal conversation, providing children a huge boost in vocabulary and comprehension. Being read to also helps children identify names and sounds of alphabet letters and understand concepts like rhyming words. It exposes them to story structure and character development. All of these elements combine to improve their communication and comprehension skills.

Cognitive development

When a child is read to, brain cells start firing, new cells are created and new neural connections are made. The complexity and definition this adds to a child’s brain will last long into adulthood. Something as simple as understanding the differences between words and pictures is an important step in learning. Books also help children recognize patterns and learn to make predictions about what will happen. Their imagination and curiosity both blossom as they encounter new ideas.

Social and Emotional Development

Books also help children to learn ways to manage their emotions and behaviors. Through stories, they see that there are different ways to handle common situations. As they hear about a character encountering a problem, they learn new ways to process their own feelings. Making connections between the story and their own life helps them to understand their own experiences.

Reading from a distance

Thanks to video chats, we can read to our grandchildren even when we can’t be with them. Reading is one of the main ways I connect with my long-distance grandchildren. Most days, they sit enthralled through as many stories as I’m willing to read. As someone who loves books unreservedly, I’m usually good for at least three or four a day via FaceTime, or more if we are together.

Since we aren’t together that often, our video story times are our main time together. I have a standing date during their lunchtime (their other grandmother reads during morning snack!). Through trial and error, we’ve found what works and what doesn’t.

This phone holder makes reading via video chat easier. Order one to try it out!

Tips for reading via video chat

Work with parents to find a time that works. Meal or snack time, when wiggly little ones are more likely to sit still, have worked best for us. Bath time and tummy time can be great times for even younger babies. Alternately, pick books that invite them to move, like Eric Carle’s Head to Toe or Over in the Meadow. Check out our list of interactive stories for active toddlers here.

Turn the camera lens so they can see the book instead of you. A phone holder like the one in the picture can be helpful for leaving your hands free to turn pages while holding the book. (I like this one because it is incredibly lightweight. Some of the more highly rated ones were too uncomfortable around my neck.)

Yes, you’ll miss getting to snuggle with someone on your lap while you read, but watching their faces can be just as gratifying. I love to see their concern over whether the baby bird will find his mother or the delight when they get a joke.

If you don’t have an extensive library at home, get a library card and make trips to your local library part of your grandparenting plan. This counts as time you are devoting to your grandchildren when you can’t be together!

Don’t expect every book to capture their attention, or for them to be receptive every time. Some days, I’ll realize no one is paying attention. I may try to tempt them with a different story, or I may accept that they are just too focused on other things that day.

Don’t get discouraged if it takes some time to find a rhythm and routine that works for your family. Once you find one, though, this can be a great break for parents. You can hold the child’s attention while mom or dad preps dinner, eats their own lunch without interruption, or spends a few minutes thinking their own thoughts.

Books are a great way to entertain your grandchildren, but they can be so much more. Through the books we read, we can share our values, teach them about the culture of their ancestors and introduce them to new interests. By engaging our grandchildren through reading, we can spark their curiosity and learn more about each other. Along the way, we are deepening the bonds we have with them. It’s a powerful way to connect, no matter the distance between us. 

​What's your favorite book to read to your grandchildren? Please share it in the comments!