Child care centers don't serve as hotel rooms for little ones. A well-run daycare center maintains programs that allow the staff and young ones to interact. Physical activities such as game playing and even mild exercise sessions could be part of the child care experience. Parents should look closely at activities local child care centers offer. Doing so allows parents to select the best option while also taking steps to meet a child's needs. One activity that presents excellent benefits is a proverbial oldie-but-goodie: reading time. Reading time never loses its appeal because it never stops delivering positive results. 

Reading Time Makes for a Happy Story

Reading time can serve a few valuable purposes. The session does provide a little calm time after lunch or playtime. Kids do need to relax a bit. Listening to a positive story allows the young ones time to recharge. Story time could deliver essential things that adults overlook. Here are a few possible good influences from reading time: 

Stimulates Creativity 

Don't think it is ever too early to awaken a child's creative side. They say artists are born, so that means the creative spark may exist in the back of a child's mind. Reading time could bring it out.

Promotes Learning

Reading and learning are difficult to separate. A story time session can take the place of formal time in school. The child might be a year or two away from beginning school, but there's no reason to delay learning time. Listening to fairy tales and other stories may give the child a head start before kindergarten. That head start could reap long-term educational benefits.

Starts the Life Journey

Although popular among millions, reading isn't necessarily popular with millions more. Receiving an early start presents the joys of reading and could set a course for a lifelong love of books and more. A ten-year head start has its upsides.

Adults should do a little more than merely determine if the child care center offers reading time, though. 

Ask About the Reading Material

It wouldn't hurt to find out what reading material the young ones discover. For one, an adult could decide if the content appears controversial or inappropriate. Or, a parent may see an opportunity to become involved. If the reading session includes the first book in a series, a parent might continue the series at bedtime. Maybe mom and dad will start increasing their personal reading time and experience the benefits of story time, too.