Running head: THE VALUE OF READING ALOUD TO CHILDREN

My Reflection on the Wonder of a Childs Thirst for Reading

Imagine what it must feel like to see words in print and not
be able to recognize the words or be able to sound them out to make
the words come alive. Then further imagine having someone
reading those words to you. Just imagine, just imagine, the wonder,
the beauty, of reading and hearing words come alive through the
wonder of hearing words read to you. Well this is what happened
in a kindergarten class where children realized the value of learning to read.
Each day during Fire Time (the time

when children

can be full for intervention) , the children in the

room have the

opportunity to select a book to do a picture walk

through, since

most can only read a few words. This is so

because the

children are at the beginning stages of

recognizing,

sounding out, and forming words to become

independent

readers.
On September 11, 2014 as I observed the students flipping through the pages of their
books I asked one of the students if he would allow me to read to him. He readily agreed and
from that day forward the children literally line up at my desk to have me read to them. I use the
words line up loosely because most of the time the children are crowded around me and the
individual Im reading to, trying to be the next one to be read to.
Imagine, having to take a number to have a Christmas present wrapped at a store to avoid
chaos in the area. Well, carry this picture to my reading area where you will see children excited

Running head: THE VALUE OF READING ALOUD TO CHILDREN

to be read to, excited to follow the words in print from left to right, excited to recognize site
words, and excited to be able to understand context words and pictures that lead their minds to a
higher

level of critical thinking.

Reading

is just that valued in my

reading

literacy area. The children are

asked to

take a number so we can keep

track of

who will be next in line to be

read to.

All the students are welcome

to listen,

but the student been read to

realizes this is their special read aloud time.

The love of reading quickly caught on, from the outgoing students not to bashful to ask
me to read to them, to the shyest ones I would never have thought would have stepped out of
their comfort zone to ask me to read

to them. This is why I have

a good feeling at the end of the

reading session each day

when I see students that are still

thirsting for more. That

same thirst for reading that brings

them back the next day for

more. This is important because I

always share with my

students that if you can read you can accomplish anything. They understand this now, which has
led to the love of reading catching on and spreading throughout the class.
According to Koralek (2001), we should

read aloud

to kindergarteners and primary school children

so they can

learn to associate reading with the warm,

pleasant

Running head: THE VALUE OF READING ALOUD TO CHILDREN

feeling they cab associate with a warm learning environment. Further, we see that read aloud
expands the childs listening skills, their vocabularies, and can provide a relationship to real life
experiences. Also, when we read to children we are helping them to develop a sense of
becoming independent readers as well as become motivated to read on their own and experience
the joy of seeing words come together in print (naeyc.org). This is important because if we are
unable to catch our learners when they are in their formative years of learning, we will miss the
window of opportunity to instill in the children the love of reading and the desire to want to learn
to do so.
Why is reading aloud to children so important? How can we increase our childrens will
to want to read? I recognize that reading is essential to the academic success of the child because
reading is the core of all things. The ability to read further develops the childs critical thinking
skills as well as

work to increase the childs

vocabulary through

increased reading. Reading

further expands the

childs sense of

understanding and

sense of belonging. Also, the

more the child reads

the greater his or her ability

becomes to recognize context clues as a means of identifying unfamiliar words. Reading is

important because it leads to the success of a well-rounded child.
Knowing the importance of reading aloud to children even as early as birth, research
shows us that at least one child comes to school with no experience of ever been read to, imagine
that.

According to Williams (2010),

Research

shows that children who are read to on a

Running head: THE VALUE OF READING ALOUD TO CHILDREN

regular basis before they start school are most likely to succeed in their learning. Also,
Koralek, (2001) shares with us that, The single most important activity for building knowledge
for their eventual success in reading is reading aloud to children.
As I reflect on how my students regard for reading has been affected, I recognize that
they now understand and appreciate the affect reading aloud have on their thirst for knowledge.
They crave more and more reading aloud as they are read to. They no longer sit passively in
their seats flipping the pages of a book; rather they are up out of their seats seeking a voice that
can bring sound to the words in their book.
The childrens thirst for reading aloud has taught me that every minute in the classroom
should be capitalized on to practice reading. This is
why I use every opportunity presented during
instructional time as well as during administrative
time to have students show me how and why reading
is important. I further understand the importance of
building into the instructional outcome for my lessons in each discipline various ways for my
students to display their ability to read. This is important because the more the children read the
more they will want to read.
This been said, does reading aloud really matter? Yes, reading is important to the
students cognitive development. Reading is important to every aspect of a
childs life in their early developmental years through their adult years. This
is why I understand and recognize the value of setting the goal to spread the

Running head: THE VALUE OF READING ALOUD TO CHILDREN

love of reading to my students in every aspect of learning when I enter my classroom. Reading
is important. If you can read you can do anything.

Running head: THE VALUE OF READING ALOUD TO CHILDREN

References
Koralek, D., (2001). Reading Aloud with Children of All Ages. Retrieved from
https://www.naeyc.org/files/yc/file/200303/ReadingAloud.pdf
Reasons Why Reading Is Important for Young Children, (2014, November 1). Retrieved from
http://mathandreadinghelp.org/why_is_reading_important_for_young_children.html
Many parents failing to read to children; survey shows (2010, April 29). Retrieved from
http://www.theguardian.com/education/2010/apr/30/children-parents-reading-stories
Does Reading Aloud Really Matter (2008)? Retrieved from
http://www2.readaloud.org/importance?gclid=CjwKEAjwrNeiBRD3goG_1s0_XMSJADuGQQcKAdWtF8_c832LIPktBmB0_XUKYdI4Zz63ozrg2CmBoC7Afw_wcB