When my son was in Kindergarten some unexpected family circumstances allowed my sister to come and live in our home for a year. She is likely the most gifted reader I have ever encountered, and across that year she read aloud, not just to my son, but to me as well, almost every night. It was our introduction to the magical world of Harry Potter and, to this day, when I read one of the books or see a movie I still hear the particular accents she gave the characters or remember my son’s rapt attention during the ‘edge of the seat’ moments.
When we started, I truly believed that these stories were too advanced for him. But he remembered the details and characters far better than I ever did and as he got older he raced through every new book in the series the day it was released! The power of those read-aloud experiences with his aunt and his mother have stayed with him for years. Having taught in the early elementary years throughout my career, I have noticed that sometimes reading routines at home shift and change as children become independent readers. As parents, we want to support our children’s emerging reading skills by giving them opportunities to read back to us or to read silently to themselves. Of course, these activities have benefits and should be encouraged. But I don’t believe these new skills and activities should replace the family experience of reading aloud to children. Listening to stories is an experience that enhances the child’s literacy skills just as much as independent reading. Both directly and indirectly, children draw from these read-aloud experiences some of the most valuable lessons imaginable. And the possibilities get even richer as the literature you can read to them becomes more advanced. Among the many benefits, read-aloud experiences are opportunities to communicate with your child your own values, interests, interpretations, and life experiences that might otherwise not come up in daily conversations. All too often, I would stop mid-sentence and say to my son, “Oh my gosh, that reminds me of…” and tell him about something from his early years, or my own life that I had never shared with him before. Other times, I would see a look of surprise on his face and we would both say together, “I did NOT expect that to happen!” And routinely, I would get to the end of the chapter and say, “Time to stop,” and receive back a resounding chorus of “NOOOOOO!!!! One more chapter, PLEEEAAASSE!” I will share with you a few of the lessons I learned both as a parent and an educator from years of reading aloud to children. I hope that these contribute to making your read aloud times at home long lasting and enjoyable!
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AuthorDr. Kristin L. Droege is the Executive Director of CWCKC. Archives
July 2018
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