In a world dominated by phones and endless scrolling, sitting down to read together offers a rare moment of pure presence. A pediatrician and mother shares her daily prescription for building compassion and lifelong connection.
As a pediatrician and a mom, I can’t think of many things that matter more than reading aloud to our kids—at all ages.
For many children, reading can feel like a "locked building".
The process of "decoding"—dealing with the letters, sounds, and tricky words—takes up so much brain energy that they have no space left to actually understand the story.
When we read aloud, we do the decoding work for them.
We deal with the print and the tricky vocabulary, which frees them to use all their brain energy to imagine the story and think about big ideas.
We are giving them access to the amazing reading party happening inside the building, even while they are still building their own reading muscles.
Reading aloud is about more than just literacy: it’s about connection.
It gives us a chance to look up from our screens and phones and focus entirely on our kids.
Even when they are teenagers and would rather be on their phones, a book can be a "lean-on" that helps you get inside their world.
Try to find a few minutes today to pull up alongside your child and read.
Whether it's a picture book or a novel, use it to model compassion and wonder aloud about the characters.
You are giving them a gift that lasts a lifetime—the ability to think deeply and feel connected
Who’s joining the reading party today?
Dr. Camilla Gupta is a board-certified pediatrician at ABC Pediatrics in Corpus Christi, TX.
Visit her main website to book a prenatal visit, transfer care or book an appointment.