There are obvious reasons why we read books to children. They’re entertaining and tell enjoyable stories. They create bonding experiences between family members, expose children to new language (aiding in their own language development) and encourage creativity.

Outside of these more transparent reasons, there are much deeper lessons that books can teach, aiding in lifelong learning like sequencing, repetition, self-worth and problem solving.

Sequencing in books happens when one thing leads to another. The ABCs, numbers and progression of stories involve sequencing. Learning this skill through books encourages building a foundation for learning math.

A few examples of books that teach sequencing are any of the “If You Give a …” books like “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” or “If You Give a Pig a Pancake.” These show a perfect story sequence in “if, then” statements, also teaching cause and effect.

Another book is “Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed.” This shows a more clear connection between sequencing and how it aids in math skills as the cause and effect of the story results in basic subtraction — one less monkey as they fall off the bed.

Repetition is one of the simplest ways children learn. Repetition in literacy can be seen in reading the same story over and over, but there are also books that specifically teach this principle through word, phrase and theme repetition. A classic book that can teach this is “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt.” The story progresses while repeating the same phrasing.

Another author that emphasizes word repetition is David Shannon, specifically in his “No, David” books. Theme repetition can be seen in books such as “Is Your Mama a Llama?” as it follows a llama asking other animals about their mothers. It repeats the theme while also teaching about animal qualities and follows a rhyming pattern.

Problem-solving skills can be found in books like “A Bad Case of the Stripes.” David Shannon teaches how a young girl is trying to get rid of her stripes through a variety of methods. It goes through different ways they try to solve the issue while also encouraging feelings of self-worth and self-love.

Lessons on self-worth are also included in books such as “I Love You Because You’re You” and “Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon,” both of which showcase positive family relationships.

One of the greatest authors that teach social and emotional development through books is Kevin Henkes. “Wemberly Worried,” “Chrysanthemum,” “Julius the Baby of the World” and others teach how to accept, acknowledge and overcome hard feelings. They also encourage positive relationships with family and friends.

These are just a few examples, but the lessons in books are endless. Simply reading together teaches and prepares children for all sorts of life lessons and experiences.

United Way of Utah County is on a mission to help promote literacy and healthy child development. EveryDay Learners has several programs such as HelpMeGrow Utah, Welcome Baby and South Franklin Community Center to support these efforts. Visit us at unitedwayuc.org to learn more about these programs or find any of them on our Instagram pages.

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