«Parents who read aloud to their children can give a valuable gift—a knowledge of people, places, and things. With relatively little expense, they can "travel" the world through the pages of books. Consider the example of two-year-old Anthony, whose mother has read to him since birth. She says: "His first visit to the zoo was a journey of rediscovery." Rediscovery? Yes, although Anthony was seeing zebras, lions, giraffes, and other animals in the flesh for the first time, he had already been introduced to these creatures.
His mother further explains: "Anthony has made joyful acquaintance with countless people, animals, objects and ideas, all between the covers of books, in his first two years of life." Yes, reading aloud to children when they are young can contribute much to their understanding of the world in which they live.»
Why Read Aloud to Your Children?
Appeared in Awake! November 22, 2001, Link