by Nan Keltie

Created on: June 26, 2009

Somewhere, at this very moment, a little boy with drooping lashes leans back against his mother's breast and sighs. Her voice is quiet and calm, lulling him to sleep as she reads his favorite bedtime story.

At the same time, perhaps a few continents away, a father has just finished supper and settles beside a cozy fire. His children, lounging on the floor at his feet, wait anxiously for him to open a book. Not just any book, mind you - it is the same book they have enjoyed over the past few weeks - one chapter at a time.

Clearing his voice, he announces, "Chapter Ten." For the next little while, the rise and fall of the father's baritone voice invites his children to step inside the pages of the book. The book he has chosen has no illustrations, but that is not necessarily a drawback. As he reads, they can mentally draw their own characters - or imagine themselves facing a certain dilemma or enjoying new adventures.

No matter where in this world you find parents and children, you also find them reading together. It is a tradition handed down by those who have gone before us. The story hour has sustained families in times of war and peace, famine and bounty, slavery and freedom, joy and sorrow. There are so many good reasons to read aloud to your child.

Reading aloud to your child gives you time to connect on an intimate level. No matter what else has happened in the course of your day, at this moment in time, your hearts are joined. You and your child are both literally and figuratively "on the same page." When a book is shared, your hearts are open to one another.

Perhaps it is a familiar book you've read dozens of times to your preschooler. Maybe it's a brand-new storybook sent by grandparents for a child's birthday. Perhaps it is one of those rare treasure books, one handed down from generation to generation. Though the pages are worn and the binding brittle, the story inside is alive and well. A good book is a tool that brings parent and child together.

Reading aloud also helps your children develop important listening skills. Books with pictures or illustrations can serve to reinforce what your child hears. On the other hand, books with no illustrations help your children imagine the main characters in action. They may even picture themselves involved in the plot. Listening skills are practiced at the highest level when your child is intrigued with a story!

Reading aloud can also offer the opportunity for some playful interaction. Young children,

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