g aloud is something everyone can do with their children. It only takes a couple minutes, and you don’t have to break the bank buying every trending or award-winning book as soon as they're released. Remember, children’s books are “evergreen,” and I’ve found amazing books of great quality at the Goodwill store. Or, make a weekly field trip by visiting your closest library branch.
Books are just the first step in developing a child’s mind. As children get older, it’s important to expose them to different genres and formats of reading. Trelease recommends incorporating series into their reading list. Young readers will build strong relationships with the characters (think: Harry Potter, Curious George or Magic Treehouse). Series lend themselves to encourage reading and moving on to the next adventure. With each book, readers are enticed to continue reading.
Not only does reading aloud improve comprehension and literacy, it also offers families an inexpensive way to take a mental vacation from the stress of daily routine or a healthy escape from dealing with problems.
Even Jim Trelease relates the way that reading aloud helped him combat his hyperactivity as a child. As parents, older siblings, friends and relatives, it is our responsibility to give children the basic tools they need to succeed in life. As Trelease concludes, “Giving phonics lessons to kids who don’t have any print in their lives is like giving an oar to a person who doesn’t have a boat - they won’t get very far.”