Rose of Sharon Jewelry

Reading aloud isn’t just for little kids. Reading aloud is a great way to connect with an ill parent, start talks with teens or share ideas.

  With two 4-year-old grandsons, I read aloud regularly. Every reading (even if we’re reading Green Eggs and Ham for the 100th time) is different. Orion loves to read the book from cover to cover. His favorite now is a big book of Berenstain Bear stories. Kael loves to interact with his new “Dangerous Dinos” book, roaring along with the T Rex and matching his collection of dinos with the pictures in the book. Reading preschool books aloud means dramatic voices and bold emotions.

In early scenes of movie favorite, The Princess Bride, Grandpa wants to read to his sick-at-home 10-year-old grandson who thinks being read to is  “for babies.” As the story unfolds, the wonder of being read too is revealed and the grandson cannot wait to continue.

Daughter-in-law, Dawn’s favorite class this term is all about children’s literature. Part of the class entails reading aloud to each other. She quickly learned how uncomfortable this can be for many adults – even ones training to be teachers. Dawn reads aloud daily to the twins and also to 13-year-old Hunter. It never occurred to her that Hunter would be too old to enjoy a well-read story. In September, she’ll be reading Hunter a popular young teen series, The Hunger Games.

Family reading can be everything from the Bible to Harry Potter. Reading to the entire family is also a way to start conversations, spend time together WITHOUT the TV and share a love of books. Select a book with classic elements with universal appeal. You can even pick books that are a bit above the comprehension level of the younger children as they will typically understand more than you might realize. Learning to sit still and listen is a wonderful lesson for young children.

Books that inspired favorite movies can be a good starting place. Even as the story is familiar, the process of reading aloud gives it a fresh feeling (and of course, many books are so much better than the movie versions!)

Make reading together an interactive event by creating costumes, wearing masks or hats and having people act out a specific scene.

As children mature, let them select a book to read aloud. Move on to letting them read sections or for books with lots of dialogue, have them read a specific character’s speech. Learning to read aloud is the first step to becoming a confident public speaker.

Reading to the elderly, disabled or ill has physical, spiritual and mental benefits. The sound of your voice calms, the ideas stimulate the brain and

Don’t have anyone to read aloud to? Why not volunteer at a local library, hospital or nursing home. There are also organizations seeking readers for taping readings of newspapers, magazines and books for ill or handicapped listeners. This human connection is a powerful one for the listener and the reader.

• Read Aloud Collection from LA Library system for older children.
• Ageless Sages – reading aloud to elderly video.
• Reading aloud to teens and preteens from Reading is Fundamental.
• Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic – reading opportunities
• Reading to Kids – volunteer reading
• Read Aloud America

So grab a book, grab a child, grab a friend, grab anyone who will listen and start reading aloud. I’d love to hear how you read aloud and how it benefits.