The Importance of Reading Aloud to Children

Reading aloud to children is one of the most important things both parents and teachers can do because it not only increases a child’s vocabulary but allows for them to enjoy the act of reading a book. Reading allows for children to open their minds and explore a world that they once would have never thought of. The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease is an excellent source for why reading and reading aloud to children is so important.

It is never too early to read to a child. Studies show that one should begin reading to a child as early as the last trimester of pregnancy. When the baby is developing they are able to hear what is going on around them and their brains are picking up on the different sounds they hear. Each language has different sounds that are unique to their own language, therefore, when a baby’s brain is developing it picks up on these unique sounds. Reading aloud allows for children to become familiar with their language as well as build vocabulary. Books help familiarize children with low-frequency words, or words that might not be used in everyday life. By becoming familiar with low-frequency words, a child’s vocabulary is expanded tremendously.

Reading aloud has also been proven to help increase test scores in subject areas including reading, math, and science. The National Assessment of Educational Progress monitors test scores and the correlation between scores and books, which influenced the conclusion that the more books present in the classroom and in-home can increase a child’s test scores by as much as forty points. If children have access to books then they will have more opportunity to read which will increase vocabulary and reading comprehension causing their test scores to rise.

As we receive more information about the power of reading aloud, new findings arise that promote its importance. One study about the correlation between Alzheimers and vocabulary done at the University of Kentucky Medical Center showed that the more vocabulary and complex readings a person comes across, the less chance of damage to the brain by the disease Alzheimers. This means that the frequency and complexity of material a person reads can have a direct effect on lessening the damage to the brain if that person were to develop Alzheimers. Reading aloud to children also helps children with disabilities. One personal account from Jim Trelease’s book The Read-Aloud Handbook talks about a little girl named Cushla who was born with mental and physical deficits. The doctors had recommended to her parents that it would be best to institutionalize the child, but the parents decided to not give up on Cushla. They started reading to Cushla because they noticed how she was responding to books and by the age of five, Cushla was above average in intelligence. Another inspiring story is about Jennifer Thomas who was born with downs syndrome, a heart defect, and was proclaimed blind and deaf by two months of age. Jennifer’s parents heard the story of Cushla and began reading to Jennifer every day. When Jennifer entered first grade she was the best reader in her class, had great vocabulary, and always received 100% on her reading tests. Eventually, she went on to graduate high school, pass the state MCAS tests, and graduate from Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Reading aloud to children has the power to change their course of life and has so many benefits beyond building vocabulary. From the stories about Cushla and Jennifer, we learn that reading aloud and the act of reading in general is so much more than a past time activity but is a tool that helps children their greatest cognitive potential.

There are so many reasons as to why reading aloud to children is extremely important and beneficial for the child’s development. Not only does it increase their vocabulary, test scores, and cognitive development, but it also instills a passion and love of reading in young children. Reading should be an adventure for children and a way to expand their minds and imaginations. I hope that parents and teachers are able to recognize the importance of reading and learn how to implicate it in their children’s everyday lives.