It seems natural to read aloud to infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and
perhaps even elementary age children, so why does the practice stop
when a child learns to read independently? The importance of reading
aloud shouldn’t be underestimated, regardless of a child’s age. There
are great benefits of reading aloud to children of all ages.
Benefits of Reading Aloud to Children
1) A foundation for learning is established – children of all ages,
even infants, can benefit greatly from hearing words, inflection, and
musical sounds on a regular basis. Prior to a child being able to learn
by sight (reading), she learns by hearing. Reading aloud to a child
establishes a foundation for her to learn phonics sounds, build a basic
vocabulary, receive knowledge of the world around her, and to simply
enjoy the pleasure of hearing stories.
2) Bonding with those they love - Children desire to have a strong bond
with the people who are consistent in their life, so parents have a
unique opportunity to bond with their children by reading aloud to them
on a daily basis. Take time to read to them each night before bedtime.
This time of reading and looking at books together will bring you
closer together and help each of you to learn about the other.
3) Pleasure is associated with reading – reading aloud to a child
teaches her that reading is pleasurable. If she learns to love books
and reading when she is young, she is more likely to continue reading
on her own not only for the purpose of gaining knowledge, but simply
for pleasure as well.
4) Teaching opportunities – Reading with your child gives you a
wonderful opportunity to chat with him about what he’s learning, why he
likes certain characters in a story, or what he’s learning in school.
Allow time for your child to ask questions of you and use those times
as teachable moments.
5) Better listening skills and articulation – children who are read to
on a regular basis have exhibited better listening skills than
school-age children who have not had the same interaction. Research has
shown that children who have had stories read aloud to them in the
formative years are better equipped to articulate their feelings or
observations of a book, situation, or object. Reading aloud to young
children seems to lessen the possibility of experiencing speech
difficulties in later years as well.
6) Academic success – Children exposed to literature during their
childhood years tend to be avid readers. As a result, these children
often possess greater comprehension skills, writing skills, and
critical thinking skills. They also seem to perform very well
academically throughout their schooling years.
7) Stimulation of vocabulary and language skills – It’s been proven
that children can understand concepts that are above their
developmental or academic level. As a result, children who have been
read to regularly have a better grasp on vocabulary and language skills
overall because they’ve had consistent input by hearing stories read
aloud.
The more a child reads, the more he will enjoy it. Even elementary age
children thoroughly enjoy being read to on a regular basis in addition
to reading material on their own. Should you continue to read aloud to
a child who can read independently? Absolutely! They’ll benefit greatly
academically and take pleasure in hearing the written word read out
loud with inflection and excitement.
