As a mom and educator raising my own children, my goal has always been to see our children fall in love with books and reading starting at an early age. I tried different things - modeling reading myself, having reading routines, rewarding points, leaving books at specific spots around the house and making sure they were books in our family car during long rides.
Of all the strategies, I found reading aloud to children at home and in school the one trick that helps children of any age fall in love with books and reading.
Helping children develop a deep love for reading is one of the most meaningful gifts parents and educators can give. Research consistently shows that reading aloud to children supports connections, literacy development, emotional growth, and long-term academic success.
Whether you are a parent reading at home or a teacher leading a classroom read-aloud, this simple practice can shape how children view books—and themselves—for life.
Why Reading Aloud is Important for Children
Reading Aloud Builds a Strong Love for Reading and Books.
Children who are read to regularly are more likely to enjoy books, see reading as a positive experience and turn to develop a genuine curiosity and wild imagination. Reading aloud turns books into moments of bonding, helping children associate reading with comfort, joy, and belonging.
Reading Aloud Improves Language and Literacy Skills. One of the biggest benefits of reading aloud to children is exposure to rich vocabulary, strong sentence structure, listening and comprehension skills. Even children who can read independently benefit from being read to, as it strengthens fluency and understanding beyond their current reading level.
Reading Aloud Supports Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) . Stories help children identify and name emotions. In addition, children build empathy and perspective-taking as well as understand problem-solving and relationships. In addition, reading aloud is especially powerful for children navigating change, big feelings, or new environments. Books give children language for emotions they may not yet know how to express.
Reading Aloud Helps Children Build Confidence and Voice. When children hear stories about characters who speak up, try something new or overcome challenges they begin to understand that their voice matter too. This confidence supports communication, writing, and self-expression both in and out of school.
Ideas on How Parents and Teachers can Help Children Develop a Love For Reading and Books.
Make Reading a Shared Pleasant Experience . Instead of focusing on performances or let your goal be building a relationshing and connection. Read together but also
- Pause to talk about the story
- Invite children to share their thoughts
- When reading feels relational, children are more likely to engage and stay interested.
Choose Books Children Can Relate To. Children turn to be more engaged when books and stories
- Reflect their emotions
- Share their experiences
- Connect to their communities
- Mirror a representation that helps them see themselves as who they are.
Read With Expression and Enthusiasm. Reading alound with expression helps bring stories to life for children. To do this, use different voices to
- Change your tone
- Pause for questions or reflection
- You don’t need to be a performer—just present and engaged.
Ask Open-Ended Questions During Reading. Encourage thinking and conversations with important questions like
- “How do you think the character feels?”
- ''What would you do in this situation?”
- “Has this ever happened to you?”
- These questions improve comprehension and connect reading to real-life experiences.
Keep Reading Aloud Beyond Early Childhood . Many parents stop reading aloud once children learn to read—but this is a missed opportunity. Reading aloud to elementary-aged children
- Expands vocabulary
- Models fluent reading
- Keeps reading enjoyable
- Reading aloud continues to support literacy development well into the elementary years.
Why Reading Aloud Matters in the Classroom more than ever.
For teachers and educators, daily read-alouds is helpful in building a strong classroom community that
- Support SEL conversations
- Encourage thoughtful discussion
- Help all learners access stories equally
- Even 10 minutes of reading aloud each day can create a more connected, engaged classroom environment.
Final thoughts:
When children are read to consistently, they develop:
- Strong literacy skills
- Emotional awareness
- Confidence in their voice
- A lifelong love of reading
- Most importantly, they learn that stories—and their own stories—matter.
It is important to remember that children may forget specific details of a book, but they will always remember how reading made them feel.
Reading aloud creates those moments—and those moments shape readers for life.