If you read to your children before they go to the garden, they will learn over a million words.

Children whose parents read five books with thick sheets a day go to the garden knowing about 1.4 million more words than children who have never been read, says a new study. Ohio State University says that this one million word deficit “can be key in explaining differences in vocabulary and development of reading.

Researchers were interested in finding more on the subject based on previous studies, which say that about 25 percent of children have never been read, and another 25 percent again have been read only in rare cases. Their findings show how useful daily reading is for children. Even children who read only one book a day will hear about 290,000 more words by the time they are five years old than those who do not read.

The most hearing children will be better prepared to see those words written when they enter school”, says study author Jessica Logan. “They are likely to gain reading skills faster and easier. ”

That's how many words children will know by age five, based on reading their parents:

• Children who never read: 4,662 words;
• Read 1 to 2 times a week: 63,570 words;
• Read 3 to 5 times a week: 169,520 words;
• Read each day: 296,660 words;
• Read 5 books a day: 1,483,300 words.

Plus, it's not just what children hear during the time of the story. Parents usually talk to their children about the book they are reading, or they add their details to history. This added talk reinforces the learning of new words.

Reading with your children is a fun game for many reasons. Not only does it promote coexistence but it teaches children important skills that they will later use in life.