Books are the foundation for education, not just for their value as sources of information, but for the vital purpose they serve in introducing children to the fundamentals of communication and literacy.
When a child is provided with access to books and reading materials that are age-appropriate, he or she picks up skills for literacy much quicker and it keeps them on track for meeting the reading requirements that come with each year of school.

But even beyond these clinical advantages, having books in the home offers parents the ability to engage with children and their educational progress. Reading to a child has shown significant positive results in a child’s development and it encourages him or her to seek out more books of their own choosing. It gets them invested in reading for longer durations of time and inspires them to challenge themselves with more difficult material as their skills improve. This leads to greater participation in school, better grades on reading tests, and a higher likelihood of success in educational outcomes.

These are just some of the reasons why access to books in the home is so important. Unfortunately, this is a luxury that many households in our country are unable to enjoy. Studies have shown that a majority of low-income households do not have access to proper books, which results in parents not reading aloud to their children when they are young. A lack of reading in the home can be devastating to a child’s growth and development. Family income is not the only component of the issue as many children from middle and upper class income households do not get enough interaction with parents when it comes to reading either. These homes have more access to resources but it doesn’t always equal to a sufficient amount of reading between parent and child. Books are not luxury but a necessity if we are to continue educating our nation’s youth to compete in today’s society and those homes without them are already at a disadvantage.

Books foster other skills as well, communication being a primary aspect of the reading experience, along with comprehension and analytical abilities that help a child’s mind grow. All of these essential traits begin with reading and if a child isn’t introduced to reading in the household at a young age, they will not keep pace with their peers in classrooms. This can lead to frustration in the child, preventing him or her from putting in the effort to surpass the hurdles that have been placed in front of them even before they had a chance to make a difference. When there are books in the home and parents take the time to read to children, those hurdles are greatly reduced.

Lectura Books is your source for award-winning bilingual books for learning language in both Spanish and English. Perfect for building vocabulary!