Why (and What) You Should Read Aloud With Your Big Kids

Most parents of little ones are aware of the importance of reading aloud to their children, and bedtime stories are often a favorite ritual. The practice of reading aloud, however, tends to be abandoned as kids become more independent readers and schedules become busier.

As soon as my daughter was able and interested in reading by herself, I stopped reading to her. I thought that was when you were supposed to stop, I mean, this was the goal right? Independent reader?

A recent study revealed that while only 17 percent of parents with kids age 9-11 read aloud, 83 percent of kids in this age group say being read to is something they love or like a lot.

Oops. I asked my daughter if she’d like to read aloud together still and she said yes! Frisco Senior Librarian Bonnie Barber shared,

School-aged kids have a lot to gain from listening to an adult read aloud. Pronunciation of new vocabulary, noticing different writing styles (satire, parody, etc.), and learning to process what they read (“What would I have done in that situation?”) just to name a few. Perhaps the biggest value I see is getting to bond with a caregiver while creating positive experiences around reading. From a parental perspective, it’s a priceless opportunity to talk through the scenarios, from joyful to heartbreaking, we can examine in the safe confines of a book.

Since I’ve started reading with my daughter again, I’ve seen how true Bonnie’s comments are. Not only does she enjoy our time together, but when we read Wishtree by Katherine Applegate, we had some really interesting conversations about inclusion that we might not have had otherwise (I highly recommend this book by the way!).

Truly, reading is a great quality time activity that doesn’t have to just be enjoyed before bed. Especially when you do have all those hours to fill during long summer days and evenings. So check out the Frisco Library‘s list of great read-alouds for school-aged children below and start filling that time together!

And don’t forget about the Mayor’s Summer Reading Challenge!

• The Great Pasta Escape by Miranda Paul
• Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin
• Charlotte’s Web by EB White
• El Deafo by Cece Bell
• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
• One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia
• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by JK Rowling
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban * by JK Rowling
• Tom Sawyer (even the abridged version) by Mark Twain
• The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
• Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
• Greenglass House by Kate Milford
• Under the Egg by Laura Marx Fitzgerald
• Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan
• Bad Kitty by Nick Bruel
• Wayside School by Louis Sachar
• From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L.Konigsburg
• Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingles Wilder
• The Twenty One Balloons by William Pène du Bois
• Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
• Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper
• The Watson’s Go to Birmingham—1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis
• Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
• Whoosh! Lonnie Johnson’s Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions by Chris Barton
• When the beat was born: DJ Kook Herc and the creation of hip hop by Laban Carrick Hill

The Frisco Library also recommends any of the books on the Bluebonnet list.

Related Articles:

Three Programs at the Frisco Library for Kids with Sensory Sensitivities

Thomas Finley – Making Frisco Smarter at the Public Library

Student Storytellers Bring Festival to Life in Frisco