At School Literacy and Culture our answer to this question is not just “no”, but “absolutely not!” The research agrees.
In this article shared on Read Brightly, the author shares that only 17 percent of children aged 9-11 are read to by parents, but that 83 percent of children aged 6-17 say they enjoy being read aloud to. Why on earth aren’t we reading to children who are readers themselves? It is a common misnomer among parents, teachers, administrators and others that once a child is able to read independently we no longer need to read to them. This belief could not be further from the truth.
In “Becoming a Nation of Readers,” published by authors of the Commission on Reading from the National Academy of Education, it is stated that, “The single most important activity for building the knowledge required for eventual success in reading is reading aloud to children.” There we have it; if we want children to be great readers, we must read aloud to them – at all ages, not just when children are pre-readers and rely on an adult to read for them.
Melissa Taylor, the author of this piece, shares six reasons why reading aloud to “big” kids is so important. We couldn’t agree with her more!
Reading aloud:
- Shows children the joy of story
- Models fluent reading
- Helps expand their vocabulary
- Exposes kids to new authors, texts, and genres
- Builds awareness and empathy
- Improves kids’ long term reading success
| Authored by Jordan Khadam-Hir, Rice University School Literacy and Culture |
