The Importance of Reading: A Pediatric Occupational Therapist’s Perspective
As pediatric occupational therapists, we’re often asked about the best ways to support a child’s development at home. While there’s no one-size-fits-all answer, one recommendation that is always beneficial: reading.
Reading is more than just an academic skill. It’s a powerful, multifaceted tool that supports nearly every area of a child’s development. From sensory processing to motor coordination, attention to emotional bonding, reading can play a surprising role in so many layers of a child’s development. It can also be a pivotal part of a child’s therapeutic journey.
Early exposure to literacy opportunities and development go hand-in-hand. As early as infancy, reading fosters critical foundational skills in development. Even before a child can understand language, being read to helps them:
- Develop auditory processing skills
- Build vocabulary and comprehension
- Establish visual and auditory attention and focus
- Strengthen caregiver-child bonding
These aren’t just benefits for the future classroom setting, they are building blocks for everyday functional skills, which is what we focus on in occupational therapy.
Reading activates multiple areas of the brain. For young children with sensory processing challenges or delays in executive functioning, books provide a safe, structured experience where they can build skills including:
- Learning to sequence events
- Predicting outcomes
- Regulating emotions through familiar stories
- Practicing visual and auditory integration
Reading ventures beyond cognitive development and also supports fine motor and visual motor integration:
- Turning pages strengthens bilateral coordination
- Pointing to pictures and words improves hand-eye coordination
- Tracing letters or drawing story scenes develops pre-writing skills
- Holding books or props during story time improves grip and endurance
In various ways reading can promote self-regulation. The inflection and tone in which a story is read aloud to a child, can model different feelings throughout the story, it can build excited anticipation or it can create a peaceful setting. Books offer a natural way to help children understand and manage their emotions. Through stories, children learn about empathy, problem-solving, and identifying feelings. For kids with difficulty self-regulating, routines that include reading can be:
- Calming and predictable
- A non-threatening way to explore emotions
- A bridge into discussions about real-life challenges
One of the most beautiful aspects of reading is how it fosters connection. Whether it’s a caregiver reading to a toddler or a therapist sharing a social story with a child, reading becomes a moment of shared attention, laughter, and learning. It’s an accessible activity which doesn’t require fancy tools or expensive toys. A few books or a make-believe story can open doors to countless developmental learning moments.
Tips for Making Reading a Therapeutic Tool at Home
- Follow the child’s interests. If they love trucks or animals, find books that reflect that.
- Use interactive books like, lift-the-flap, textures, sounds, mirrors, poke-a-dot.
- Read aloud with expression to capture attention and support emotional understanding.
- Pause and ask questions to build language and cognitive skills.
- Create a routine. Reading before bed or after school creates predictability and comfort.
As pediatric occupational therapists, we believe that development doesn’t just happen in therapy sessions, it happens at home, in routines, in relationships, and in small, everyday activities. Reading is one of the most powerful tools families can use to support a child’s development holistically. So whether it’s a board book for a toddler or a comic book for a tween, remember: every page turned is a new adventure.
Need support or ideas for incorporating reading into your child’s development plan? Reach out to your occupational therapist, we’re always here to help! To schedule a free consultation with an occupational therapist at Child & Family Development, use our easy self scheduling tool.
