Why read to children?

Parents one of the most important activities that you can do with your children is to read to them and listen to them read. We have all heard the comment read to your child from each other from educators from TV, etc. But let’s ask ourselves why? Why is it so important that we read to our children?

We can get some of the answers from Jim Trelease in his “The Read-Aloud Handbook”: Seventh Edition. (By the way I first became aware of Jim Trelease when he updated his second Edition, It is now in it’s seventh edition. A powerful Book.) He writes about the 1983 commission on reading funded by the US Department of Education.

The commission spent two years pouring through thousands of research projects……. Among its primary findings, too simple declarations rang loud and clear:

“The single most important activity for building the knowledge required for eventual success in reading is reading aloud to children.”

It is a practice that should continue throughout the grades.” The commission found conclusive evidence to support reading aloud not only in the home but also in the classroom.

I would like to tell you a story about my Great Grandson He had some problems during his first grade. One of his major problems was poor vision and he had to be fitted with strong glasses. When he entered second grade he scored way below Grade level on the reading test. His teacher recommended for him to read and be read to extensively. His parents carried through with the reading and when he took the spring test he scored above grade level.