6 Great Reasons to Read Aloud to Your Kids

You probably already know that you should be reading aloud to your child on a regular basis. But sometimes that can be hard. Am I right? Between math class, science experiments, errands, and getting dinner on the table, you have to make choices about how to spend your time.

In this post, I want to lay out six really great reasons why you should make the time to read aloud.

6 Reasons to Read Aloud to Your Kids

1. Reading aloud to children creates a lifetime interest in reading.

   If you start reading to your children while they are young, they will be much more likely to grow into the habit of reading. When they associate reading with happy memories, they are more likely to persist in learning to read, even when they run into occasional roadblocks in the process of learning to read.

2. Reading to young children extends their attention spans.

   Don’t overdo it at first. You might need to start with just ten minutes of read-aloud time, and gradually extend the time until your child is able to maintain full attention for longer periods of time. A longer attention span will help a child perform better both in school subjects and in real-life projects.

   

3. Reading aloud to children aids in language development.

   As children listen to you read, they assimilate strong language skills. They pick up correct word pronunciation, word usage, and proper grammar. Their working vocabulary increases, and they internalize correct sentence structure. All these skills will eventually transfer to their own speaking and writing. Improper grammar will begin to sound wrong to them, and they will be more likely to choose good grammar when they communicate. By demonstrating fluency, reading aloud to your child will also help him become a more fluent reader.

4. As you read aloud, the power of a child’s imagination is strengthened.

   As you read to your children, they visualize the book’s events in their minds. Through the pages of a book, children are able to experience events and situations that are outside of their own personal experiences. They can picture life in other parts of the world and in other cultures. Children who have been read to are usually more adept at creating stories from their own imaginations.

5. Reading aloud helps build a child’s comprehension.

   As you read and discuss books together, your child increases his problem-solving abilities and gains insight into characters’ motives. Discussing a book as you read helps teach a child how to make good predictions. As you read aloud, you can fill in missing background information that helps a child better understand the book’s setting, historical background, and characters—details that might be missed if a child reads a book on his own. Reading aloud also gives you the opportunity to emphasize important character traits as you read. Point out examples of compassion, kindness, perseverance, and optimism, then take a moment to discuss these traits with your children.

6. Last, but certainly not least, read-aloud time is great one-on-one bonding time.

   Reading aloud is a wonderful chance to share adventure, intrigue, and emotion—without having to leave your living room. And that is irreplaceable.

Need More Encouragement?

Do you have a culture of reading in your household? Or do you need to get motivated to start reading to your kids?

Check out Read-Aloud Revival! Sarah MacKenzie has interviewed Jim Weiss (“Reading Aloud Imperfectly”), Andrew Pudewa (“Reading Aloud to Older Kids”), and Mystie Winckler (“For Parents Who Don’t Like to Read Aloud”), as well as many great authors.

I had the chance to join Sarah to chat about the importance of reading aloud with a struggling reader. Sarah and I packed a lot into our 21-minute conversation, including suggestions for some of my very favorite books to read aloud with struggling learners.

You may want to subscribe to her podcast (I did!) or her email list. Read-Aloud Revival has had over 1 million downloads—and for good reason!

So grab a cup of tea and join Sarah and me as we chat about the importance of reading aloud to your children. Then go grab a book and a comfy chair and spend some time reading together with your children.

Need ideas for books to read aloud? Check out my FREE downloadable library lists!