Reading vs Television for Children

The affects that the enormous influx of television shows, movies, video games, and music have had on our children over the past couple of decades is obvious. The alarming decline of children reading for pleasure is no surprise either. Research in regard to reading vs. television for children seem to point to the same conclusion: children who grow up being read to a lot and who read for pleasure score higher in literacy reading scores than those who do not, regardless of their socioeconomic background. Also, children who grow up watching a great deal of television without very much voluntary reading do not fare as well scholastically as children exposed to reading early on.

It has been proven that reading to a child and encouraging them to read for enjoyment is beneficial in many areas. If a child is read to from an early age, and if they see their parents reading a lot, there is a better chance they will become interested in reading. Avid readers, whether they enjoy reading comic books, romance novels, suspense stories, or nonfiction, have a wider range of overall knowledge than those who do not read for pleasure. It is good for parents to find out what kind of books interest their children and have them readily available to them.

Watching television has its place, but must be highly monitored and watched in great moderation. An hour of educational television a day has shown to assist children in scholastic abilities, however, playing, reading, talking with friends, and just, “thinking,” have a far greater impact on children’s overall life. Children need to develop their own thought-life and imagination, watching television does not help that end.