Remember snuggling up at night in your bed, and reading a good book with your mom and dad? Maybe it was with an old fairy tale or a children’s classic book such as Goodnight Moon, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom or Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat. Most children remember these stories well because there are significant benefits of reading bedtime stories and books with your children at night.
While this bedtime activity may be more common in the west, it may be more difficult for children in places where English is not the native language. However, you can still try reading easier bedtime stories with your kids.
Here are some of the reason why these bedtime stories are beneficial for children:
Bedtime stories helps brain development and imagination
Studies over the years have suggested that storytelling helps with children’s brain development. Reading these stories helps students become more familiar with the sounds, words, language, images, and voices in a story. This all helps contribute to their personal development as well as fostering a greater creativity.
Also frequently showing them a new story helps them learn about the surrounding world, and they are able to identify new ideas and concepts quickly. They are also more active with the story, and able to ask questions and interact with the reader as the story progresses.
Books encourage reading
Frequently reading bedtime stories to your children helps them learn to love books and reading at a young age. It not only sparks their imagination, but also intrigues their curiosity and emotional understanding of these stories and the characters inside. Each story is an amazing adventure, where they can have a story to share with their parents. From this, children will learn that each book has its own interesting story and naturally want to pick one up and read it later.
Bedtime stories significantly increases English language development
Not only is reading good for the children’s personal development, but it is also good for their English listening, reading and speaking. Listening to a story in English allows the students to hear how each word is pronounced, and how to read each word on the page. This one-on-one attention with reading is something students rarely get in school.
Also bedtime reading exposes them to different stories and vocabulary in each book, which studies have suggested that this increased vocabulary and English development will lead to increased intelligence later on.
Here is a list of the top 10 bedtime stories for young kids:
| Number | Bedtime story for Kids | Price |
| 1 | Goodnight Moon | $5.36 |
| 2 | One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish | $5.23 |
| 3 | Where’s Spot? | $12.32 |
| 4 | The Snowy Day | $6.27 |
| 5 | Time for Bed | $8.99 |
| 6 | Good Night, Gorilla | $7.00 |
| 7 | How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night? | $9.37 |
| 8 | If you Give a Mouse a Cookie | $10.88 |
| 9 | Llama Llama Red Pajama | $11.89 |
| 10 | Kitten’s First Full Moon | $7.05 |
1) Goodnight Moon
This story is often considered the greatest bedtime book of all time.
Selling price of Goodnight Moon on Amazon is around $5.36
2) One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
This classic Dr. Seuss book will make child fall in love with his writing and illustrations. Learn how to count with the funny illustrations of fish from the world of Dr.Seuss
One Fish Two Fish is around $5.23 on Amazon
3) Where’s Spot?
This easy reader will have you guessing where spot the dog has gone!
Selling price of Where’s Spot on Amazon is around $12.32
4) The Snowy Day
This reader will make you want to snuggle indoors with a good book on a cold day.
Around $6.27 on Amazon
5) Time for Bed
This bedtime story will get your children sleepy and ready to count sheep.
6) Good Night, Gorilla
This sneaky Gorilla will have you saying goodnight phrases before bed.
Good Night Gorilla is around $7 on Amazon
7) How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night?
This funny rhyming book will teach you good behavior for bedtime, with a dinosaur twist.
Going on Amazon for $9.54
8) If you Give a Mouse a Cookie
This famous book of a mouse will let you meet a new friend.
Listed on Amazon for $10.88
9) Llama Llama Red Pajama
Another fun rhyming book follows a llama trying to fall asleep.
Llama Llama Red Pajama is listed on Amazon for $7.90
10) Kitten’s First Full Moon
This little kitten will get you all nice and cozy for some sleep at night.
Listed on Amazon for $7.05
These benefits have shown that bedtime stories have a significant benefit for students personal and language development. Not only these, but reading stories have also been shown to increase children’s emotional understanding, which is essential for learning to interact with others.
