| Heya <<First Name>>,
The more I learn about reading aloud, the more I’m convinced it’s basically the cure for everything that ails us as a species.
That may be a slight exaggeration.
But still, here’s what I mean …
 Reading aloud is good for kids’ brains
Even as a reader and listener are enjoying a bouquet of neurochemicals, their brain activity is synchronizing, creating literal order and connection in a process known as neural coupling.
It helps kids with math
If you can’t process complex sentences, it is very hard to progress even into equation math and formula math.
It helps them grow emotionally
A child sitting on a lap at home or in the friendly security of circle time at school or at the library has a chance to witness the emotions of others and experiment with their own without consequence.
 Doctors recommended it
In 2014, the American Academy of Pediatrics advised its 62,000 member doctors to recommend daily reading aloud to the parents and children they see in their medical practices.
It can help us be fully human
“There are times when dreams sustain us more than facts. To read a book and surrender to a story is to keep our very humanity alive.” — Helen Fagin, Holocaust survivor and former University of Miami English professor.*
And that’s only scratching the surface.
If you’d like to go deeper, take a look at “The Enchanted Hour,” by Meghan Cox Gurdon, which is where I found the quotes above.
Or … don’t worry about it and just enjoy your read-aloud time. 🙂
Happy reading,
Jeff, Bob, and Zoe …
… who believe that reading with kids can change the world for the better
PS. Got any great read-aloud tips, recs, or resources? Share ’em in the Read-Aloud Rec Room.
*Visit Brain Pickings to hear a short clip where Helen speaks about reading aloud to her students in the Warsaw Ghetto in Nazi-occupied Poland. |
