Reading Aloud to Your Child:
A Powerful Advertisement for Reading

One of the most important things you can do to help your child to grow as a reader is to read aloud to your child. While reading aloud is often perceived as an activity that should stop once a child can read on his own, that is not the case.

As you read aloud, you provide a powerful reading model for your child.

Continuing to read aloud to your child throughout the elementary and middle school years exposes your child to quality literature beyond his current reading level. Just fifteen minutes a day can open the power of books to your child.

Sharing this quality literature is a powerful advertisement for why your child should continue to extend the effort needed to become a better reader. (After all, if books are only boring, frustrating drudgery, why should she bother?)

The following resources can help to get you started with ideas about how and what to read to your child:

• The New Read Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease
• "America Reads" Website by Bank Street College of Education