Reading aloud to your child has many benefits:

1. Hearing books read aloud expands your child’s vocabulary. Good literature often uses words that your child doesn’t use in his everyday conversations, and hearing new words in context helps him learn and remember new words.

2. Through read-aloud books, your child can learn about many different topics: science, history, geography. Read-alouds aren’t limited to fiction; some of my kids' favorite books were about volcanoes and wild animals. By sharing good nonfiction together, you can learn about other cultures, science concepts, and historical events.

3. By being exposed to a wide variety of books, your child can find out what types of books he likes. Books can spark a new interest in a particular genre.

4. Your child’s attention span increases as he sits still for an interesting book.

5. Through hearing well-written books being read aloud, your child is absorbing proper grammar and word usage. Subconsciously, he is storing away correct language patterns, and he can draw upon that knowledge for his own writing and speaking later.

6. When you read with your child, you are modeling an important skill for your child. Your child sees you enjoying books and choosing reading over more passive activities, and he is more likely to pick up books on his own as he gets older.

Some tips for reading aloud to children:

Give some background about the story, if appropriate.

Stop reading at a good part of the book. Leave them wanting more.

Include nonfiction selections.

Continue reading to children even after they can read by themselves.


Looking for some good read-alouds? Here are some ideas:

Libraries and bookstores often maintain lists of books that make good read-alouds.

One of my favorite curriculum providers, Sonlight Curriculum (www.sonlight.com), is a great source for high-quality literature. They have many suggested books, divided into grade levels.

The Read Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease lists fiction and nonfiction books. He gives grade level guidance and a short description of the plot. His handbook gives many tips for implementing reading time in your day

Don’t miss the many benefits of reading aloud to your child. And enjoy the memories you make together!