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, once they are familiar with a short story, will easily pick up on the fact that you are changing words around or twisting the plot a bit. They love to correct you, and that's an opportunity to compliment them for paying attention or having a good memory.
Another fun activity is to act out a favorite story you've read. Your children may wish to put on a performance complete with homemade costumes. Sit back and enjoy listening to them re-tell the story as they remember it. Another way to play with stories is to rehearse them with puppets or pantomime.
Reading aloud to children also gives opportunity for positive reinforcement. There are many books that weave worthwhile character traits and desired morals into the story line. Sometimes it is easier to show our children - via the story - how certain behaviors are beneficial and bring about pleasant results. In other stories, children see that unpleasant results are the natural outcome of poor decisions and disobedience.
Another way to reinforce good attitudes, worthy goals and aspirations is to read good biographies. There are dozens (perhaps hundreds) of these available in libraries, bookstores and online. Choose explorers, heroes, inventors, philanthropists and other true character stories that inspire your child to dream and reach for the stars.
Reading aloud to your children is like writing your own family story - a book of memories that will follow your children wherever they go. One thing is certain, your children will likely carry on the time-honored tradition of reading aloud to their own children. And with that goal in mind, we close this article with a familiar line. "To Be Continued ..."