The benefits of reading out loud

You know that I am always going on and on about the importance of reading to your children. I am 100% certain that this one thing alone builds a scaffolding for later learning that cannot be replicated in other ways. Still, I am always happy to come across articles and research supporting the benefits of reading out loud to children. In this particular article, the research suggests that it also supports social skills. 

What I found interesting was the fact that there were benefits whether or not parents stopped to ask questions about the content. I'm not sure if these questions were to confirm comprehension or ask leading (or perhaps not leading) questions regarding the plot. It still confirmed my suspicion that children are capable of gaining a great amount of benefit just from listening. I think sometimes parents make things too complicated when really they just need to read the story. 

Another study I would love to see done involved reading to older children... even high school students. If there is such benefit to reading out loud to young children, then why do we stop? I suspect that the benefit continues and is possibly even greater. I would also like this study to compare parent input as they are reading to no input. 

This crossed my mind this evening as I was listening to L. expound on her views about a book that was assigned in her history class and how her opinion differed so greatly to the majority opinion. I might have heard echos of myself when reading out loud to them. As we moved into reading more of the classics, I would every so often find myself needing to pause to comment on a character. I hope I was modelling the idea of critiquing the text as well as the idea that you can disagree with 'literature' and with each other. It was one of the ways that (I hope) I raised independent thinkers. So I want someone to do a study on that. 

But truly, read to your children. A lot. And not always easy books. Discuss them together. Model considerate disagreement. Raise independent thinkers. 

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