Reading to my son each night at bedtime when he was a young child was one of my favorite activities. We would curl up in bed, covers wrapped around us, and I would read to him in all manner of wild and fantastical character voices to help bring stories to life. If there was a monster in the storyline, a witch or an animal of any type, I made sure to play the part with my voice to keep him engaged.As he got older, people would often tell me, “Your son has such a good vocabulary.” I mostly chalked that up to his inheriting my aptitudes (as someone who writes for a living). But in reality, his vocabulary skills probably have a great deal to do with all the reading that took place at home during formative years.Beyond increased vocabulary, there are numerous other important skills and developmental benefits that result from regularly reading to a child at home. What’s more, literacy professionals say there are some telltale signs when it comes to children who were read to at home and those who were not. Here’s a closer look.Westend61 via Getty ImagesEarly attitudes toward books, such as exhibiting curiosity rather than avoidance, can be a telling sign of how often kids were exposed to reading at home.There are signs a child is not being read to at home.The most apparent differences between a child who’s being read to at home and one who’s not include vocabulary range and comprehension, confidence when tackling unfamiliar words or texts, fluency, attention span and willingness to engage with reading tasks. Early attitudes toward books, such as exhibiting curiosity rather than avoidance, are another important sign, said Sarah Calzone, program chair of early childhood education at Post University in Connecticut. And that’s not all. Here are some of the other differences that educators observe, according to Calzone:Children who have been read to consistently often come to books with more confidence and comfort. These children also usually understand how books work: how to hold a book, turn pages, follow a story, look at pictures for clues, and recognize that print carries meaning.Children with regular exposure to reading are often more willing to participate in story time at school, make predictions, ask questions, retell parts of the story and connect the book to their own lives. They also tend to have stronger oral language skills, broader vocabulary, greater listening stamina and more background knowledge, all of which support later reading comprehension.“Children who have been read to often see books as familiar, joyful, and meaningful,” added Calzone. “They know that stories can make them laugh, teach them something, comfort them, or help them understand feelings.”Kathryn Starke, a national literacy consultant, reading specialist and author of ”A Touchdown in Reading: An Educator’s Guide to Literacy Instruction,” offered a similar assessment of the differences educators notice.“In preschool and in kindergarten, it’s very easy to see which children were read to at home. These children are the ones who are drawn to the book nook and pick up books to ‘pretend read’ or identify high-frequency words or common words such as ‘I, me, love, mom, dad,’” said Starke. In addition, these children often have strong listening comprehension and are more likely to answer, ask and interpret questions with ease before, during and after reading.Access and aptitudes matter, too.When discussing the difference between children who are regularly read to at home and those who are not, experts say it’s important to acknowledge the fact that children have different lived experiences and aptitudes.“Factors like access to books, learning differences, language development, bilingual household and quality of instruction all play a role in whether a child experiences reading regularly growing up,” Calzone said.Lisa Lightner, a special education advocate with A Day in Our Shoes, has spent 16 years helping parents secure appropriate reading instruction in a child’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) at school. And while she agrees that reading to children at home is absolutely important for building vocabulary, listening comprehension and more, she also cautions against “oversimplifying reading challenges” or immediately connecting them to a lack of being read to at home.stockphotodirectors via Getty ImagesExperts stress, however, that reading at home is not a magic fix for every family — and there's rarely a one-size-fits-all solution to helping kids build their reading skills. “One of the biggest misconceptions in education is that struggling readers just need more exposure to books,” Lightner stressed. “One of the most common experiences I see among families is that children can go years with an undiagnosed reading disability. Estimates suggest that up to 20% of students may have characteristics associated with dyslexia or other reading disorders.”Many of these families, Lightner said, hear the same question repeatedly: “Have you tried reading to them at home?” And the answer is usually: “Yes, for years.”“These parents are reading bedtime stories, visiting libraries, doing all the things they’re told to do. Yet their child continues to struggle because the issue isn’t a lack of exposure to books. It’s that the child needs explicit, evidence-based reading instruction targeted to their disability,” said Lightner.How often should parents read to children at home?There’s no denying that day-to-day family life can be extremely hectic. And both parents and children may be exhausted by the time bedtime rolls around. Still, experts agree that children should ideally be read to at home on a daily basis, whenever possible. “Even if only for a short period of time, because consistency is more important than the length of each reading session,” said Tiffany Ohlson, an assistant professor of education at Flagler College, literacy specialist and instructional coach who has worked at both the school and state level.The importance of reading consistently lies in the fact that it builds a foundation long before formal reading instruction begins. A child is developing vocabulary, listening comprehension, memory sequencing, imagination and attention every time an adult reads with them. And it’s never too early to begin this activity.Ridofranz via Getty ImagesReading aloud and reading together is not something your kid has to grow out of — and can be a lasting, connective activity well past grade school.“It is recommended that parents and caregivers begin reading aloud in the newborn period because shared reading supports early relationships, social-emotional development and brain development,” said Calzone.It’s also important for both children and parents to have opportunities to select the books being read. Allowing children to choose the books increases motivation and engagement, while parent-selected books offer an opportunity to introduce new topics, vocabulary and genres, said Ohlson.At what age should you stop reading to your children? One last point I personally love and can attest to: Parents do not need to stop reading aloud once children learn to read independently. My son and I still read together some nights, and he’s 13 years old. I like to go to the bookstore with him, pick out books about topics we both enjoy, and then read them together. The experience has morphed from being explicitly educational to also being a bonding activity and a chance to remain connected with a teenage child. And as it turns out, experts support this idea.“Reading together can continue through the elementary, middle and even high school years,” said Ohlson. “Read-alouds expose children to more advanced language and ideas than they may be able to read on their own and provide opportunities for meaningful discussion.”