How reading aloud helps foster a lifelong love of books

Of all the wonderful things my mum has done for me, reading to me has got to be near the top of the list. A love of reading has enabled me to live many lives, time-travel, explore the world and believe in the impossible. From board books as a baby, to carefully chosen library books, to chapter books, my mum always read to us, sometimes accompanied by a cup of tea to soothe her throat, as a mammoth reading session was inevitable because my brother and I insisted on ‘just one more chapter’.

Eventually, as we grew, our reading sessions progressed to sitting in comfortable, companionable silence as we each read our own books side by side.

Now whenever I see my mum I ask her what she is reading. It’s usually a murder mystery, whilst I’ll normally have my head, not to mention my heart, stuck in some kind of historical fiction. This passion for reading must be a family trait. Last week my 81-year-old grandmother said, “I just want to sit and read my books all day.”

Reading and books have always been a part of my life and even if we hadn’t decided to home school I still would have read to my children. It just seemed a natural and enjoyable thing to do with them.

So, how can you introduce reading aloud time to your family, and why is it important?

Getting started

You can start at any point, but try to share books with your child as early as you can. You can buy some excellent baby books: cloth ones that your baby can chew, bath books, sensory books with different textures to feel. Your baby will love the comforting sound of your voice. It doesn’t matter if you don’t read exactly what it says on the page. My third child used to shut baby books on my hand if I tried reading them to him. This confused me because his older siblings had loved being read to at his age. I soon realised that he didn’t have the attention skills yet. Instead of making an issue out of it, I just pointed out pictures, colours and shapes, letting him turn the page as quickly as he wanted. We were still enjoying the experience together, still communicating, still learning. Now he is nearly four and loves to be read to.

When your child is ready you can move on to story books with lots of pictures, and then to longer story books with fewer pictures in, to chapter books with short chapters and the occasional picture, and then finally to big chunky chapter books with few or no pictures. It doesn’t matter how fast a child progresses in his choice of material as long as it is an enjoyable experience; all children have different interests and attention spans.

Child-led

Let your child pick the books she wants to have read to her. Obviously a little gentle guidance might be required on your part to make sure books are appropriate to her age and culture. If you are home educating and you want to cover certain eras in history or particular topics, you can make suggestions, but let your child decide. If she is interested in the book, she is more likely to look forward to reading aloud keenly and with a happy heart. It also makes picking a book a special experience where your child’s choices matter.

When to read

Pick a time of day that suits you. You might like to make this when your child is the most receptive to sitting and listening, or when the house is the least busy and there are fewer distractions. People ask me how we are able to read aloud with two toddlers also in the house. I find that what works best for us is reading story books that everyone can enjoy during the day, and then also reading at bedtime. At bedtime the older children are naturally winding down anyway, so they are quite happy to lie in bed and listen. The 3-year-old also listens for a little bit and then drops off to sleep, and the 1-year-old snuggles on me getting her bedtime milk while I read; eventually she will fall asleep too. How much we read depends on how tired everyone is and how much we are enjoying the book.

Some people choose to read while their children are playing with something quiet like Lego. We sometimes do this during the short winter days, but I find it hard to get into a good reading flow if children keep stopping me to show me their creations. Other people read to their children as they eat at the lunch table, but this doesn’t work for me, because I don’t like reading while I’m eating. Different things work for different families; I find that reading to my children at bedtime so that they go to sleep with the pictures still in their heads works best for us.

You don’t just have to read at home. Read in the library. Read under the trees in the woods. Read during rest time or when you go for a picnic at the park. Read on the beach

Where to read 

Read anywhere. You don’t just have to read at home. Read in the library. Read under the trees in the woods. Read during rest time or when you go for a picnic at the park. Read on the beach. Read on the bus or train. Just pop a book in your bag and if the opportunity arises get in a chapter. Books are wonderfully portable.

What to read

Don’t force the educational angle. Don’t worry about making your children read the ‘classics’ if that is something they are not ready for or interested in. You can get condensed-down versions of classic books that are more palatable for children, but honestly it doesn’t matter what you are reading – the children are learning. They are soaking up how language is constructed, phrases, colloquialisms, slang, historical events, character traits, plots and emotions. As a homeschooler I am grateful to books for enabling my children to learn a whole range of things in a relaxed and enjoyable way that allows me to be mum rather than teacher.

Inexpensive

Don’t break the bank. Enjoying books doesn’t have to be expensive. The library is free. It offers a range of books and will order desired titles in for you. Our local library has the benefit of not charging children for late returns. We also own a number of books, and I definitely haven’t spent a lot of money on them. I’ve been lucky enough to have people give me books their children have grown out of, but I also love a good charity-shop bargain or table-top sale find. I have come across books in perfect condition for as little as 10p. You can also get good deals online or in bookshop sales.