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October 13, 2025

Read-Alouds: One of the Most Powerful Tools in Our Toolbox

Kate Puzan, Education Specialist

This blog was written in honor of Jumpstart’s “Read for the Record” Day, a campaign Doodle Bugs! participates in each year. This year they are celebrating their 20th Anniversary and have transformed the campaign into a 20-week celebration that kicks off October 13th!

When you think back to your childhood, what are some of your fondest memories at home and/or school? For many of us, these memories include some form of “story time” – whether it be snuggling with mom and dad as they shared a bedtime story with you, or sitting gathered on a carpet alongside your friends while a teacher shared a story to the entire class. Our parents and teachers had a way of captivating our hearts and minds and engaging with us in ways that made story times enjoyable, exciting, magical and memorable for us growing up.

The Magic of a “Good” Read-Aloud

There is so much power hidden within read-alouds that extends far beyond the pages of the book. When you read aloud to children, you are utilizing one of the most powerful tools we have in our toolboxes as parents and teachers. “More than anything else, reading aloud to children surpasses all other approaches to preparing children for success in school and in life.” Read Aloud America

In early childhood, children are still too young to be able to read the words in a book themselves. So, it is ultimately up to us, as their caregivers, to share books with them. Effective read-alouds in these early years establish a strong foundation in literacy that will lead to future success in other areas of school and learning (science, social studies, etc.). In addition to language acquisition, children are continuously learning new words (enriching their vocabulary), improving fluency, and developing important cognitive skills such as comprehension, attention, memory, problem-solving, critical thinking, and the ability to make connections. Read-alouds introduce young children to new places and ideas that foster both imaginative thinking and creativity. Social-emotional skills are encouraged as they recognize the emotions/feelings of characters in books, which transfers to them being able to recognize their own emotions and identify ways to manage/regulate them.

Children find so much joy in the read-aloud moments shared with their parents and teachers. For them, books are vessels that transport their minds to far-away places, while exposing them to diverse cultures and traditions. They provide children with an opportunity to make connections to their own lives and experiences. Just the act of listening to a story can bring little ones a sense of calm when feeling anxious, stressed, or overwhelmed. Story times are a comforting routine they look forward to each and every day. When children enjoy books together with loved ones and teachers, bonds are strengthened and nurtured – further supporting healthy brain development.

Taking Read-Alouds to the Next Level

While for some, the idea of “reading aloud” feels simple and straightforward – it is much more than simply “reading words off a page.” For young children to experience all the benefits mentioned above, they must be engaged with the books being read to them. Read-alouds, whether delivered at school or home, are very much an art form – requiring both skill and practice to be effective.

“Engagement” looks a little different depending on the age of children being read to. Signs that infants and toddlers are engaged with books include: sitting in your lap or beside you to read a book together, touching the pages of a book, trying to help you turn the pages, pointing to pictures when you ask them to identify people and things, counting along with you, identifying shapes & colors on a page, etc.

For Preschool and Pre-K children, signs of engagement include: sitting and looking at the book being read to them (whether one-on-one or with a larger group), having emotional reactions/responses to a story (ex. laughing when something funny happens), answering questions before, during, and after, filling in words that are predictable, finding examples of rhyming words.

Here are some tips and tricks you can try at home or in your classroom to make story times more interactive and engaging for little ones:

GENERAL

  1. Establish a designated reading spot. At home, this might be a special reading chair, the couch, or at your child’s bedside. At school, this might be a reading carpet or corner in the classroom.
  2. Read at a steady pace. Reading too fast or slow loses children’s attention and makes it more difficult to comprehend text.
  3. Vary the tone, pitch, and volume of your voice. Changing your voice to match the story helps bring stories to life!
  4. Choose books that are age-appropriate. Consider the length and content of a book when choosing an appropriate read-aloud. Books that are too long will not maintain an infant’s or toddler’s attention.
  5. Point to text as you read. Running your finger under the text is important for teaching children to read from left to right. It also helps them to connect written text with spoken words.
  6. Use facial expressions and gestures. Being expressive while reading will help to maintain children’s attention.
  7. Be silly and have fun! If you are enjoying a story, children will, too!

BEFORE READING 

  • Look at the cover of the book and invite children to make predictions about what the story will be about (based on the illustration and title) or share what the cover makes them wonder about. This helps to grab their attention right off the bat and gets them thinking about the book before they even read it.

DURING READING

  • Stop and ask questions about characters, the setting, and plot.
  • Invite children to “fill in the word”, end predictable sentences, find words that rhyme, look for examples of alliteration, make predictions about what’s going to happen next, etc.
  • Make connections between the text and children’s own lives and experiences.
  • Build in social-emotional learning by identifying emotions and feelings of the characters in a book through their facial expressions, body language, and/or actions.

AFTER READING

  • Ask children to identify what happened in the beginning, middle, and end of the story.
  • Ask children to name their favorite part of the story.
  • Complete an extension activity (ex. Build an enclosed farm in the blocks center after reading a book about farm animals.)
Final Thoughts

Mastering the art of a “good” read-aloud by engaging young children does not happen overnight and will require lots of practice. But the benefits they will reap (as a result) are countless. It is truly one of the BEST things you can do for children’s development, sets them up for future academic success, strengthens bonds, cultivates a love of reading, and creates memories for little ones that will last a lifetime. So, the next time you pick up a book to share with children, remember the incredible power that lies within a “good” read-aloud.

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