Reading Aloud Important in Child's Development

Reading aloud has multiple benefits. Right from infancy to childhood, reading plays a major role in the vocabulary development of a child.

Reading to children aloud from an early age has been proven to boost their esteem thus making them easier to prepare for schooling. This also helps in the better development of their language and communication skills.

A six-year study conducted by the University of Melbourne on 4,000 children beginning age 4 reveals that those children who have parents reading to them three times a week have better mathematical abilities and have become better readers than those who did not, according to Bundoo.

Teachers also consider reading aloud as an effective tool in breaking the wall between teacher and students. It also aids in better classroom management and improve children's academic performance because it exposes them to more comprehension challenges.

Aside from the intellectual benefits that children get, reading aloud develops their social interaction. They are able to enter the world of the story and explore beyond what they heard and bring it to the next level.

"During read-aloud, we share the excitement, the suspense, the emotion, and the sheer fun of a new book and its intriguing or annoying characters," said Nancy Lacedonia, an East Longmeadow, Massachusetts teacher.

Teachers in secondary and graduate schools also consider reading aloud as it gives their students time to clear their minds of other activities and motivate them to focus on the present lesson. They believe that this tool helps them build a better classroom atmosphere.

"From being read to repeatedly, children learn that reading is enjoyable, that pictures provide clues to the story, that books and print go from left to right, that print represents words and meaning, that stories have a beginning and an end. By listening, watching, and asking questions, they add to their vocabulary and increase their comprehension," said Catherine Paglin of the NW Education Magazine, according to Education World.

Bundoo reports that a US Department of Education finding proves the importance of reading in a person's life. The figure shows that 70 percent of adult inmates are illiterate while 70 percent of juvenile offenders are unable to read well.