The idea of reading aloud might conjure the image of mom or dad cuddled up with a two or three-year-old, reading a delightful picture book before bedtime. If this is your idea of a read-aloud, you’re right on target, of course! Personally, I think it’s one of the great pleasures of parenting – enjoying one-on-one time with your child (or family time with multiple children) and sharing a fun, funny, touching, or thought provoking story.
We could all probably list a bunch of reasons why reading with your little one is a great idea. Language acquisition, relationship building, discipleship, fun – the list goes on and on. But, today we’re going to talk about some of the benefits of continuing read-alouds well past the picture-book stage.
Reading aloud (or sharing the reading) with an older child can allow you to tackle together a book that stretches past her current reading level. There may be a book you know your child would love right now, but the reading level would present such a challenge that her interest might wane. Hearing the book read aloud might get her over the hurdles she would find in reading it herself. With proper pauses, emphases, and vocal inflection she may be completely engaged with a book that would have just bogged her down if she were reading it herself. (If you’ve ever enjoyed the performance of a Shakespeare play that you could barely get through when reading it, then you know what I mean!) And while you read, your child is expanding her horizons with new vocabulary presented in an appropriate context and (hopefully) enjoying a story that presents ideas that nurture her intellect.
Reading aloud as your children get older can draw your hearts and minds closer. Of course, we love to see our children developing a love for independent reading. But reading out loud together doesn’t have to stop as independent reading develops. If you or an older child is doing the reading, then multiple age levels can be accommodated at once, and you can continue enjoying the sense of connection that comes from joint experience of a great story. There is no denying the power of stories in our lives – power for teaching, empathy, personal growth, and spiritual growth. These are displayed in a special way when we encounter them with others.
Reading aloud is a uniquely effective tool for discipleship. Remember that the best discipleship happens in times of peace and openness, not when we are correcting our children. One great advantage of reading aloud with your children is the opportunity for discussion after you read. Whether this happens immediately after reading or around the dinner table the next day, it gives you a chance to hear how your children are processing what you are reading and to guide them as they mature in discernment of people and situations. You can discuss whether each of you would have handled a situation in the same or a different way from how a character in the story handled it. You can help your children make connections between the story and truth they know from Scripture. And you can highlight the nuances in human existence, acknowledging how things are rarely as black and white as we want them to be. This can help us both lean into the Lord’s leadership and offer grace to those around us who struggle or fail when faced with a moral dilemma.
Reading aloud lets us take advantage of a child’s desire to stay up late to fit in a little more learning and a few more snuggles. Reading an engaging book aloud at nighttime doesn’t feel at all like a lesson. It can actually feel more like a relaxing vacation! It offers a great way to wind down and prepare for sleep, but you really are sneaking in some spiritual and/or intellectual stimulation while providing physical rest. And as our children get older, the sweet times of snuggling up together (or even being in the same room!) typically decrease. Read-alouds keep the door of togetherness open. Especially for your children who give and receive love with physical touch and closeness, this will be a blessing.
I was thrilled when my oldest, who was in her first year of college, came home for Thanksgiving with a book she was loving. It was from one of her classes, and she wanted us to read it aloud together during our holiday break. Just to be clear, we didn’t spend whole evenings adjourning to the couch after dinner for a couple of hours of reading. (Though if your family does that, more power to you!) But for 15 minutes or so after everyone had gotten ready for bed, we enjoyed diving into this story that meant so much to my daughter. We didn’t even get to finish the book in our few days together. But I treasured this little window into what my daughter was learning and enjoying in college as well as the chance to just be still together in peace and quiet, enjoying all the richness of a great story.
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