Reading Aloud To Your Child

Very often I hear from parents about the at-home struggle of getting their children to read each night. Often times, there are tears involved, from children and parents alike, and usually this results into a diminishing of the "love of reading." So my response to these parents is always to end this battle. As parents, hundreds of times a day we have to "pick our battles." I'm saying- this is one battle you can choose to let go of by simply reading to your child. 


Parents have a hard time with this advice...and I understand why. We, for some reason or another, believe the only way children are going to become better readers is if they're actually doing the reading themselves. And while there may be argument for that when it comes to actual word-reading, that's not a valid argument in regards to the many other aspects of reading. By reading aloud to your children, you're sparking interest in books, you're giving them the opportunity to access more complex ideas that they would not otherwise be exposed to, you're exposing them to vocabulary and language patterns that are not part of their every day speech...and the list goes on.


So, next time your child refuses to read on his/her own...instead of going to battle with your child..take it as a good opportunity to "cuddle up" with them and a book. 


I've included some links that highlight the value of reading aloud to your child as well as some read aloud tips. 

Why it's important to read aloud with your kids, and how to make it count

Study says reading aloud to children, more than talking, builds literacy

The Importance of Reading Aloud to Big Kids

Reading Aloud with Children of All Ages

7 Tips for Reading to Older Children