21 Day Read Aloud Challenge

The month of March has three special days that I want to blog about: Read Aloud 21 day challenge, Dr. Seuss’ un-birthday, and Women’s History Month.
Read Aloud Month is designated in March to emphasize learning more about the importance of reading aloud to your children. The 21 Day Read Aloud Challenge has been added to help us form a habit of reading aloud to our children for 15 minutes every day. Take a look at the website https://www.readaloud.org/21daychallenge.html. This website is full of ideas and charts with information about the Read Aloud 21 day program.
If it is possible, enlarge and make a copy of the chart of the House (below and on the website) entitled “WHY READ ALOUD” infographic. Put it up where you will see it often. This will help you to form the habit of READING ALOUD 15 MINUTES EVERY DAY FOR 21 DAYS

You might be asking your selves: Why is it so important to read aloud to your Children?
From birth to 3 years of age are the critical years for the development of a child’s brain in learning language. Parents, that makes you, your child’s first, and most important teacher. One of the best ways to help this little brain develop is by reading aloud consistently.
Researchers from three universities concluded the role of family involvement was even more important than the school when it comes to academic success. (North Carolina State University, Brigham Young University, University of California - Irvine)
The infographic chart from the web site above states that more than one in three children arrives at kindergarten without the skills necessary for lifetime learning.
The infographic chart also states that if you read 15 minutes every day for 5 years you will have read for 27,375 minutes. Do you think that could ‘up’ the chance of a higher success advantage in learning for your child?
Another of the advantages from reading aloud is that you are modeling the reading process for your child. You are reading with expression, such as sadness, joy, scary to mention a few. You are also modeling reading fluently by showing how our language flows.
I am going to put in a quote by Anna Dewdney, the author of the Lama Lama books. I have used this quote before, I am using it here and I probably will use it again in the future
When we open a book,
And share our voice and
Imagination with a child,
That child learns to see
The world through someone else’s eyes.
This little quote leads us right into my next thought. Reading aloud helps you as a parent to share information with your child. Some of this information they might never acquire through daily conversation.
For instance I have just finished reading a book entitled The Big Burn, Teddy Roosevelt and The Fire That Saved America written by Timothy Egan. The story is based in 1910 when this “big burn” destroyed a large portion of the Idaho forest. Egan made the following statement: “The disaster served to strengthen the fledgling U.S. Forest Service, and rally public opinion behind Theodore Roosevelt's plan to protect national lands.”
Having been a smoke jumper’s wife, I have had personal experience and knowledge about Idaho forests fire fighting. However

from reading this book, I gained a great deal of additional knowledge about the forest service and this history of Idaho. I also learned about Teddy Roosevelt involved in saving the Idaho forest. I understand this book is an adult book but the same thing happens when reading picture books to children, they gain background knowledge about the world.
In the introduction of the “Jim Trelase’s READ-ALOUD HANDBOOK, Eighth Edition, Edited and Revised by Cyndi Giorgis, she states:
Research shows that the seeds of reading and school success (or failure) are sown in the home.
Let’s talk about building the foundation for love of life long reading or you could say a love of life long learning. This starts with the snuggling together, in a soft chair, or under a blanket, reading, laughing and having fun together. As a parent and their first teacher, you are showing your child you love them and you love reading.

Start your ‘Read Aloud for 15 minutes everyday’ Challenge Today. For 21 days track you progress. Be an advocate for this program; spread the word to your local day cares, to your pre schools, to your local school district, post it on your social media sites. When you spread the word about ‘Reading Aloud for 15 minutes everyday’ you are helping your child and you are helping your community.

Notes about me:
Jylene Morgan is a retired educator. She is passionate about the importance of reading aloud to children from top quality children’s books. Writing about her life experiences she captivates her audience by telling the tales of her family’s adventures. The first several books are written about funny exchanges that occur when human and wild animal’s lives come together.
To read more about me, my passion for reading aloud to children and my books go to www.jylenemorgan.com. Make sure you join our mailing list so you receive Jylene's "Most Treasured Books List". So you can also be the first to know when Jylene's next book, BUMMER and the Nanny Goat, is available.
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