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Reading Aloud to Kids: A Great Tool to Building Reading Fluency

Story Time
It's 12:30 in the afternoon. Recess time is over. My students will be returning soon. I feel the excitement begin to build inside of me. The sluggish fatigue of morning is being replaced by the anticipation of my favorite part of the day-story time! I eagerly pick up the worn and tattered book, find my comfy chair and wait for my little charges to rush through the door. Tired bodies and happy faces quickly sit in the story corner eagerly waiting for me to begin. I open the book and suddenly we are transformed to a place filled with wonder and adventure. The words flow from me soothingly, quietly, eagerly. Twenty pairs of little eyes sit transfixed to my voice as I read each word with careful consideration, letting the story unfold like a precious gift carefully being unwrapped.

The Benefits
Read alouds are essential to any classroom and home. As a teacher, I can attest to the enriching experience read alouds offer. Children learn vital reading strategies through read alouds. They learn how to read with expression and fluency. They are exposed to story elements, character, and setting details. They learn to listen with intent and develop critical thinking skills through discussions about the book. Reading aloud offers children an array of opportunities to express their ideas and feelings about the story, ask thought provoking questions and listen to alternative ideas. Also, read alouds help children develop and improve literacy skills such as reading, writing, and speaking. According to Jim Trelease, in The Read-Aloud Handbook, "Since children listen on a higher level than they read, listening to other readers stimulates growth and understanding of vocabulary and language patterns." Without a doubt, reading aloud to kids is an enriching experience for both reader and child.

The Excuses
Unfortunately, the only read alouds many children get are through their teachers. It's a sad state when parents do not have the time or inclination to read at home. From a teacher's perspective, I can attest to the advantages of reading aloud to your children. In my classroom, the students who comprehend better, read more fluently, and have a greater vocabulary are those who are read to regularly at home. Again it is unfortunate to say that in the urban poor district I work in, the kids who are read to by parents are not the norm. Now I've heard it all from parents. We have no books at home. We have no way to

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