Everyone already knows that reading is an invaluable lifelong skill, and books can be super fun, too. But did you know that when children read, they get these awesome benefits, as well?

1. Books help kids do better in school. Kids who read tend to do better in all subjects, not just English. Books promote achievement across the board.

2. Reading books exercises the brain. Reading is a more complex task than, say, watching the TV. And kids who read often get better at it!

3. Books teach kids language skills and new words. While reading a book, your kid absorbs information like sentence structure and vocabulary without even realizing it!

4. Reading books helps children develop empathy. While reading a book, your child will imagine how it might feel if they were in the same situation as the characters they’re reading about. Putting themselves in someone else’s shoes helps to teach them to consider other people’s feelings.

5. Books teach kids about the world around them. While reading books, kids can learn about a wide variety of people, events, and places that they wouldn’t otherwise experience. Books can expand a child’s horizons.