The Wonders of Reading Aloud

Do you read aloud to your children? Do you read to them everyday?
Jim Trelease in his book, The Read-Aloud Handbook explains the importance of reading aloud to children of all ages. He explains that the minds of children are like little sponges as they soak up all the information they see and hear. So, by reading aloud to your children you are allowing them to soak up new information.
Every time a parent reads to their children three important things happen. First, a pleasurable connection is made between the child and reading. Second, both the parent and child are learning something from the book they’re sharing. Lastly, the adult is pouring sounds and syllables called words into the child’s ear.
It’s proven that listening comprehension feeds reading comprehension. Trelease uses the meaning of the word "the" to explain this concept. If someone who did not speak English asked you to define the word "the", would you be able to? We were never sat down and taught the meaning of the word "the" we learned it by hearing it over and over from our parents and the people who surrounded us. By reading aloud to your children you are teaching them new words and meanings.
In the book Trelease tells the story of Jim Brozina, an educator. He read aloud to his daughter every night for 3,218 consecutive nights. What did she have to show from this? She has a four- year college record that was all straight A’s and one B, she won two national writing contests, and a nationally published literary memoir called The Reading Promise: My Father and the Books We Shared. How’s that?
Parents often assume that their child is too old to be read aloud to. Trelease Explains that it is almost as big of a mistake to stop reading too soon as it is to not read at all. It is a fact that children have the ability to listen and comprehend at a reading level at least two years ahead of their reading level. So, parents should continue to read aloud to their children even if they seem “too old” because you can challenge and advance your reader!
Many parents are looking for things they can buy or do to help their child to read better. Trelease recommends the three B’s. The first B is books. Parents should have a selection of different books readily available for their children. The second B is book basket. Parents should keep baskets filled with books in places around the house that the child spends a lot of time. For example keeping a basket of books in the bathroom or next to the couch. The third B is bed lamp. Parents should place a lamp next to the child’s bed to allow them the opportunity to read before bed. Kids will do anything to stay up a little longer, even read.
What about parents who are illiterate or semi illiterate? These parents can still enjoy the wonders of reading books with their children through wordless picture books and audio tapes. While looking through a wordless picture book the parent and child can make up the story as they flip through the interesting pictures. Or, they can follow an audio tape and flip through the pages and follow the words.
Reading aloud to your child is the most important thing that you can do to set your child up to have a bright and successful future.