We all know that reading to our kids is good. Most of the evidence points to the development of vocabulary and creating a stronger connection between parent and child.

But I think there’s also something else.

Stories are the way we learn about the world, and how to navigate it. It’s how we learn about values. Interestingly, it’s also how the Georgia Institute of Technology are training Quixote, their Artificial Intelligence machine, which is part of a US Navy project. So when you read to your kids, it’s not just about the words, it’s about the meaning. Help them understand this by asking them how they would behave if they were one of the characters.

Now you've got another reason to read to your kids.