I don't recall reading as a child or being read to by family members...but then again, I don't remember anything from my childhood. Except when they moved the school on the first day I walked without supervision..but that is another conversation!
I do remember playing Loteria (Bingo), Chinese Checkers and Scrabble? Perhaps, that aided my early cognitive development. However, most educators agree that reading daily to young children, starting in infancy, can help with language acquisition and literacy skills.
This is because reading to your children in the earliest months stimulates the part of the brain that allows them to understand the meaning of language and helps build key language, literacy and social skills. For children who speak more than one language, reading is an easy way to help their language skills and is important to develop their fluency.
Don't ignore the benefits of establishing children's reading habits. Children who read often and widely get better at it. Reading exercises the brain. It improves concentration. Reading teaches children about the world around them. Reading improves vocabulary and language skills. Reading develops a child's imagination. Reading helps children to develop empathy. AND, don't forget... Reading is fun!