Is Reading Aloud Really That Important?
By:  Sherri Chema, Reading Teacher

YES, Reading Aloud is an extremely worthwhile and meaningful technique which we recommend to all parents. Research has shown that Reading Aloud to children is one of the most powerful ways to foster a love of reading. It can also help children to realize that reading is an important tool for learning. Reading Aloud is appropriate for all ages from preschoolers to adults. Reading Aloud to children helps them to:

* Expand and enrich their vocabularies.

* Listen to a model of fluent oral reading which they can then try on their own.

* Enjoy listening to a variety of stories and informational pieces which they might not yet be able to read by themselves.

* Become familiar with the structures, language patterns, and sounds of narrative, expository, and poetic writing.
For example: Knowing that most fairy tales begin with the phrase, "Once upon a time ....." and often end withThey lived happily ever after."

* Develop interests they already have and stimulate new ones.

Reading Aloud should be a ritual. Mem Fox, author of Reading Magic suggests that reading aloud should be done "every night, in the same place, at the same time, with the same cushions or pillows, and the same stuffed animals, and the same books." [p.35} We hope that this article will encourage you to set aside a little time each night to Read Aloud to your child and enjoy the wonder of books.