Letter to the Editor: Read Aloud to Kids

To the Editor:

Reading aloud to your child is simple, but one of the most beneficial things you can do for them.

I am currently enrolled in a class for education at Stonehill College in which we are learning about the benefits of reading aloud from "The Read-Aloud Handbook," by Jim Trelease.

I have drawn three significant ideas from the book that I would like to share with parents about the importance of reading aloud.

First, read aloud to your children whenever possible. Read aloud time with your child helps increase their success in school and strengthens your bond with them. Take advantage of any opportunity you can to read to your child, read in the morning, while eating, read in the car while driving with the family, or turn family movie night into a read aloud night. Take any and every opportunity throughout the day to read aloud to your child as many times as possible.

This next part is for the dads who think they’re off the hook with reading to their children. In fact, results show that boys who are read to by their fathers have better reading scores than those who do not. A study showed boys were more successful regarding academics before Monday Night Football aired therefore suggesting reading time was decreased after Dads started taking that time to watch football. While bonding with your child over sports and other
extracurricular activites is important, please don’t forget to set aside reading time, too.

The last piece of advice is concerning the 3 B’s: books, book basket and bed lamp.

First, have books in the house that can be owned by the child. Ownership is important because the books become something valuable and meaningful to them.

Second, put a book basket or two in the house filled with a variety of literature; any type of reading benefits the child.

Lastly, make sure your child has a bed lamp. Give them the choice to stay up later and read if they would like; they not only feel important in making this decision, but are also getting the benefits of reading.


Cassandra McGill

Stonehill College sophomore