GRAND Magazine - Summer 2021 - 10

A
s grandparents it's important to support
the goals of ensuring that our
grandchildren are ready for the challenges
of life. Reading early and reading well
is one of the most important skills a child
can have. The trusted brand, I Can Read!,
has launched a new line of books for early
readers, I Can Read Comics! This line of early
readers helps increase visual literacy in an
increasingly visual world, and has books for
every level of reading. Whether your grandchild
is a reluctant reader or is always looking
for their next book, there is an I Can Read
Comics book for everyone. The benefits of
early reading are endless - according to the
World Literacy Foundation they are:
1. Brain development: Reading is like
exercise for the brain! The young mind is
10 GRAND Summer 2021
like a sponge that absorbs knowledge and
the earlier a child reads the better. It is no
surprise that kids who read more are often
more intelligent!
2. Early vocabulary development: A
behavior instilled at an early age is a behavior
learned for life. Exposing children to
words at an earlier age introduces them
to lots of new vocabulary and helps them
understand how words are used in different
contexts. For optimal learning, it's also
important not to overload them with too
many new words at once.
3. Improved reading: This is one of the
greatest benefits. The more words kids are
exposed to by reading, the better their comprehension
skills. When they read and see
words they don't understand, it's only natural
to look them up in the dictionary. When they
do, they increase their vocabulary and can
recognize more and more words they come
across each time they read.
4. Better writing: Writing is a skill. As
parents, we may think, " Oh he/she doesn't
intend to be a writer, so why do I need to
instill early reading habits? " This mindset is
wrong because, if you think about it, writing
is needed in every facet of life. Whether
it's writing simple things like birthday cards
or complex things like job applications in
later life, knowing good words makes all the
difference!
5. Better communication: The same
word can have different meanings depending
on the context in which it's used.
Understanding this is important to convey
what's intended. When children are exposed
to a wide range of words, including those
which carry different meanings depending
on their context, they can communicate
better and express themselves in more ways.
6. Creating a hobby: Why do you think
kids always want to be read bedtime stories?
Because it's fun for them and a soothing
activity before drifting off to sleep. This could
later develop into a hobby and be an outlet
for their relaxation as they grow.
7. Professional skills: It's no secret that
high proficiency in English is needed in various
types of jobs and listed as an acquired
skill. Children with high proficiency in
English often grow up to be better suited
to high-skilled jobs and are an asset to their
employers.

https://www.icanread.com/comics/ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0994809700/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=grandmagazi0d-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0994809700&linkId=c0cf2342749a51234e00421ef2df453e https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003B6QYSW/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=grandmagazi0d-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B003B6QYSW&linkId=74a78ba0a510c9871c2e38f745d59213 https://www.worldliteracyfoundation.org/about-us/

GRAND Magazine - Summer 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of GRAND Magazine - Summer 2021