Reading Aloud to Children

It’s almost impossible to over stress the importance of reading aloud to young children. Important comprehension processes take place in the minds of children as they hear words and sentences. The story captivates their mind, and they begin to understand what the words mean in context.

You don’t get the same process if when they watch movies. The story is all played out across the screen and much less thinking about the meaning of words takes place.

Children progress in comprehension every time a story is read to them. When they are old enough to begin to learn to read, they already have the understanding in place, and it’s a simple thing to learn to sound out words.  If children haven’t had the experience of listening to books, they’re farther behind in comprehension and must tackle both processes at once.

Another important benefit of reading aloud is the appreciation of fine literature. There’s something special about the lyrical sounds of words, and children with a rich background in stories will be more likely to incorporate it into their own writing.

Here’s a list of some of our favorite books to read aloud:

·      One Morning in Maine by Robert McCloskey (all of his books should be read aloud!)

·      Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina  


·      The Courage of Sarah Noble by Alice Dalgliesh

·      Corduroy by Don Freeman 

·      
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats 


·      The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise  


·      Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney 

·      The Complete Tales of Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne

·      The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter  


·      Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish


For older kids:

•  Charlotte's Web by E. B. White 
• The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis  
•  Little House on the Prarie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
• Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan 

• Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery  


I haven’t even touched our favorite nonfiction books!

Have you read all of these to your children? Which books are your favorites?