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Hearing their teachers model good literacy skills can help students in upper elementary and middle school become better readers.

One of the best parts of kindergarten through second grades is the time that teachers set aside to read aloud to their students. It's a moment when children get to use their imagination and creativity while dreaming about the story that's unfolding before them. The wonderment and excitement this activity creates is one of the reasons why young children develop a love of reading. However, once a student moves into upper elementary and middle school, many times these read-alouds are replaced with reading curriculum that schools feel must take precedence, which usually means dropping the daily read-alouds.

Reading aloud daily to students is one of the best ways to increase reading resilience and motivation, and it also helps build community. Additionally, it allows educators to connect academically, emotionally, and socially with students. Making reading come alive is one of the most exciting ways to get students to fall in love with reading, and by devoting just five to seven minutes a day to this endeavor, you will marvel at how easy it is to motivate the most reluctant of readers to embrace literacy again. Reading aloud to students each day not only is a productive investment but also has powerful benefits for learners of all ages. Modeling reading strategies is a great way for all educators to demonstrate what good readers do when they don't know a word, understand a plot twist, or agree with a character in the story (even if they really do).

Reading aloud daily establishes a routine and a commitment to literacy in an authentic way. When older students see their teachers sharing literacy in this way, it allows them to simply enjoy a good book. Too often, older students view reading as an arduous task because during these years, there's such a focus on meeting standardized testing goals. Reading for enjoyment needs to be an integral part of every student's school day, and it doesn't have to simply happen in reading class. Teachers who teach other subjects can easily add read-alouds to their agendas.

How to Implement a Daily Read-Aloud

1. Choose a book that will connect with your students. Bring several novels to class, and advertise each book before allowing students to vote on one.

2. Read with passion and enthusiasm! Students love to be entertained, and watching a teacher bring a story to life is magical. When teachers react to the plot and the characters, they're modeling what good readers do when they truly interact with a book.

3. Leave time for discussion. Consider giving your students time to discuss the themes, plot developments, and character motivations that arise as you progress through the book.

4. Utilize cliffhangers. Cliffhangers can create a momentum of motivation, so be sure to end your read-aloud time in a place in the book that will leave all of your students begging for more.

5. Make time to celebrate. Once the book has been read, celebrate your accomplishment by having a book club event. Bring in blankets, pillows, and treats. Some of the best moments in education happen when we listen to students reflect on how a book has impacted them.

6. Plan a big reveal. Reveal the next novel during your book club event, but be sure to make the presentation memorable. Cover the next book, and unveil it as you end your celebration.

The Best School Year Ever, by Barbara Robinson, is a wonderful chapter book to begin a school year. It tells the story of the Herdmans, who are known as the "worst kids in the world." This award-winning book's humor will have students of all ages captivated and wanting more.

, by Louis Sachar, is an award-winning book about a boy who's under a curse and has been unjustly sent to a boys' detention center. This suspenseful and darkly funny story ends with his redemption. Plus, the chapters in this novel are super-short and captivating for all grade levels.

Out of My Mind, by Sharon Draper, is a real gem about an 11-year-old girl with cerebral palsy. This New York Times best seller will change how teachers and students view students with disabilities. This novel is perfect for helping students discover that everyone is unique and can make a difference.

Animal Farm, by George Orwell, is a classic fable. Teachers can use the book's comedic message to remind students that wherever freedom is attacked, under whatever banner, totalitarianism can be activated.

A Good Kind of Trouble, by Lisa Moore Ramée, is a funny and big-hearted middle-grade novel about friendship and family. Teachers can use this work to prompt discussion around standing up for what you feel is right.

Five Great Books to Begin the School Year

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How Read-Alouds Can Benefit Older Students

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Hearing their teachers model good literacy skills can help students in upper elementary and middle school become better readers.

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By Regan McMahon | January 30, 2020

Every parent knows that it's good to read to kids when they're little. It helps babies, toddlers, and preschoolers develop spoken language, recognize letters and words, and get ready for kindergarten. But it's actually beneficial to read to kids even after they can read on their own. Research shows that continued reading aloud after age 5 (and well beyond) improves reading and listening skills and academic performance (and is also loads of fun!).

Find suggestions for great family-tested reads on our list Amazing Read-Aloud Books for Older Kids. And for even more ideas, see our lists Read-Aloud Books and 50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12.

Here are 10 key reasons to keep reading aloud to older kids:

It builds vocabulary. Kids who are read to encounter more words -- and learn how to recognize and pronounce them -- than they would by just being spoken to. And studies show that having a large vocabulary can help kids perform better in school.

It improves comprehension. When kids are engaged and invested in the story, they understand it more thoroughly. You can check in as you go to see whether your kid understands what's going on and ask what they think will happen next, what they think of the characters, and so on.

It's wonderful for bonding. Positive experiences and warm memories of hearing stories from a loved one can inspire a lifelong love of reading. Award-wining novelist T.C. Boyle told a crowd at the 2017 Los Angeles Times Festival of Books that he learned to read not in school but from his mom reading to him -- and that when he reads now, he still hears her voice in his head.

It provides positive modeling. Kids learn through observation and modeling. Reading aloud lets them hear what language sounds like. You can also model how to analyze a story as you read and how to figure out the meaning of a word using context clues.

It improves listening skills. Reading aloud nurtures appreciation of rich language and helps train kids' ears for understanding instruction in school. According to educator Jim Trelease, author of The Read-Aloud Handbook, "A child's reading level doesn't catch up to his listening level until eighth grade."

It's a way to discover the classics. Kids may be put off by the challenging language of Shakespeare or the old-fashioned settings of Jane Austen in school, but in a cozy setting at home, you can help the text come alive as you take on different characters' voices and fill in historical context.

It helps with discussing difficult issues. Kids may tune out if you lecture them about what to do and what not to do. But if you read a story that shows characters grappling with serious conflicts and the consequences of their actions -- or facing bullying, racism, religious or ethnic bias, or gender discrimination -- it's a way into talking about complex, topical matters.

It's a way to Introduce different genres. Reading aloud lets parents introduce kids to different types of books and stories, helping kids learn which kinds they'd like to choose for themselves. Reading a variety of material boosts all kinds of learning. Try poetry, satire, manga, and autobiographies.

It's a portal into your kids' interests. Reading books on subjects or in genres kids love (sci-fi, fantasy, mysteries, thrillers, graphic novels, Norse mythology, Minecraft, whatever!) gives you something to share and discuss, while also putting you on a level playing field -- rather than you always being the teacher who knows more than they do.

It sparks curiosity and a thirst for learning. Nonfiction books make great read-alouds, too. For older kids and teens, try books or articles by journalists covering current or recent events and world issues. And there are lots of popular histories that are so engaging they read like nail-biting fiction.

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10 Reasons You Should Read Aloud to Big Kids, Too

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Even after kids can read on their own, they benefit from being read to. Here are 10 good things that come of it. Advice from Common Sense Media editors.

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I've read aloud with my eldest daughter since she was a tiny newborn. She's now almost eleven, and a voracious, independent reader. However, we still make time to read aloud together regularly. Why? Well, for me, it offers an easy way to maintain a genuine connection with my busy kid. That time hanging out together is precious for maintaining trust and open communication.

Unfortunately, the number of parents who say it's important to read aloud with their child drops dramatically as the child reaches the tween years, according to the 7th edition of the Scholastic Kids & Family Reading Report. When asked why, parents most commonly cite the fact that children "can read on their own." But older kids like my daughter treasure read-aloud time with their parents, too. Eighty-five percent of children ages 6-14 who have been read aloud to said they loved it.

There's no better time to refresh your bookshelf with read-alouds, because World Read Aloud Day is February 5! This annual advocacy day is presented by global literacy nonprofit LitWorld and sponsored by Scholastic, and unites people around the world by highlighting the importance of reading aloud and sharing stories. To take part, grab a book with your child and read aloud - and learn more about World Read Aloud Day here.

Naturally, read-aloud time with my 11-year-old looks very different now compared to when she was a wriggly toddler. For one, our reading material is a lot more substantial (it must be something we both enjoy). Also, I don't always have to do all of the actual reading - we often take turns reading pages aloud which is a valuable way for me to hear how she's doing with her reading. Plus, there are (at least) three other, key benefits to reading aloud with your older child:

A well-developed vocabulary is linked to better school performance. As a child listens and understands at a higher level than he's able to read independently (right up to high school age), reading aloud provides children with the chance to listen and engage with texts beyond their own reading level - and this is wonderfully constructive for vocabulary development.

Books can invite conversation with kids around relevant social issues and challenges they might be facing. Choosing a book to read together that addresses a tricky topic - such as friendship issues, prejudice, bullying, or homelessness - offers an unmatched opportunity to talk together. You can better understand what your child thinks or has experienced around a given issue, as well as share your beliefs and personal stories on a sensitive subject.

Maintaining a habit of reading aloud together with your independent reader provides the continued chance for closeness with you. Plus, escaping into a great book can be a stress-reliever, and continuing this tradition ahead of those emotionally tricky pre-teen and teen years will (hopefully) help him see books as a place for respite.

Of course, choosing the right book is an essential part of a successful read-aloud. For my daughter and me, it has to be a book we're both interested in, and yes, there have been books we've started and discarded as they failed to capture our attention. That being said, here are five titles from a range of genres that we think you might enjoy with your own kids.

1. J. K. Rowling's bestselling Harry Potter series is so good that the kids simply can't have it all to themselves! For those parents who read the books as youngsters, it's a fantastic series to rediscover as a read-aloud with your elementary aged child. Who doesn't love hanging out with Harry Potter and his friends at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry as they learn lessons in friendship, determination, and courage?

2. If your child loves adventure, fantasy, or mythology, then the thrilling Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan makes an excellent read-aloud to enjoy together. Twelve-year-old Percy Jackson discovers that he is a demi-god - half human, half Greek god - and that his father is the sea-god, Poseidon. In the first book of the series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, Percy teams up with Annabeth, daughter of Athena and a satyr named Grover, on an adventure to recover Zeus' lightning bolt - the first of many adventures for Percy and his friends.

3. In The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies, Evan's younger sister, Jessie, is skipping a grade and will be in his fourth grade class this year, and Evan's not happy about it. Jessie is smart but struggles to make friends while Evan is not-so-great at school work but has friends... or at least he did! Evan's frustration leads to all-out war - of the lemonade stands - in a wonderful story of sibling relationships, compromise, teamwork, and forgiveness.

4. George by Alex Gino is the poignant and sensitive story of George, who was born a boy but knows in her heart that she's a girl, and her struggles with wanting to be herself while fearing the reaction of her family, friends, and classmates. It's a wonderful springboard for discussing empathy, friendship, bullying, gender roles, and learning to stand up for who you are.

5. In Refugee, Alan Gratz expertly weaves together the stories of three refugee children of different times and places - Josef escaping Nazi Germany in the 1930s, Isabel leaving Cuba in 1994, and Mahmoud fleeing Syria's civil war in 2015. The children face devastating dangers and horrifying obstacles in their search for refuge, with connections and similarities that surpass the different conflicts and circumstances their families face. It's a valuable read for prompting discussion around a weighty social issue.

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3 Important Reasons to Keep Reading Aloud to Your Tween

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I've read aloud with my eldest daughter since she was a tiny newborn. She's now almost eleven, and a voracious, independent reader. However, we still make time to read aloud together regularly. Why? Well, for me, it offers an easy way to maintain a genuine connection with my busy kid.

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We've heard a lot about the science of reading this year. The term appeared 600-plus times in Education Week's 2023 coverage alone.

Clearly, readers are interested in this topic, which refers to literacy instruction aimed at phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. But within this scripted method of how to make children proficient readers, there's one critical element that's been largely overlooked: the joy of reading.

"Decoding is absolutely the foundation of reading proficiency, but it is by no means where we end our efforts. Nor should it be the only effort," said Maryanne Wolf, director of the Center for Dyslexia, Diverse Learners, and Social Justice at the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies.

As efforts toward developing strong readers go, reading aloud to children is one that teachers' anecdotes and research inform us is worthwhile. Before emerging readers are able to automatically link the jumble of letters they see in front of them to the riveting stories these symbols create-whether magical, frightening, whimsical, eye-opening or otherwise entertaining or informative-someone must do it for them. And teachers are the most reliable source to take up the task.

Here's a glance at why reading out loud to students matters, the barriers teachers face in executing the read aloud, and the benefits of making it happen.

The benefits of being read to from a very young age

The single act of reading aloud to children can provide multiple benefits; perhaps most significantly, it can develop a lifelong interest in pleasure reading, according to multiple literacy experts and studies on the subject. It also comes with the ancillary benefits of increasing children's vocabulary and background knowledge. One recent study found that parents reading to their children as young as 1 to 2.5 years of age strongly predicted later vocabulary, reading comprehension, and reading motivation.

In another study, researchers tracked the impact on children whose parents read to them a minimum of five books daily from a very young age; these children entered kindergarten with exposure to around 1.4 million more words than children who were never read to. Variations in this daily reading practice, referred to as the " million word gap," may explain later differences in children's vocabulary and reading development, suggested the study's authors.

Despite the multiple proven benefits of being read to early and often, teachers can't assume that this is happening at home. In a nationally representative sample of nearly 10,000 4-year-old children, 25 percent were never read to, and another estimated 25 percent were read to only once or twice weekly, according to data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Birth Cohort. Those rates were in spite of widespread campaigns to increase awareness of the importance of reading to children. For instance, the American Academy of Pediatrics has formally recommended the practice begin in early childhood, noting that it "builds language, literacy, and social-emotional skills that last a lifetime."

Teachers value reading aloud, but don't always do it

Children generally come to school eager to learn and, regardless of their reading exposure at home, teachers can make up a lot of lost ground by prioritizing reading aloud to children on a routine basis. Further, most elementary classroom teachers see the value in it. In a 2019 study examining attitudes of 1st- through 4th-grade teachers about read-alouds, 100 percent deemed it important; 45 percent agreed that it was very important; and more than half considered it indispensable. Whether it's happening widely is unclear.

There's no reliable way to measure how frequently teachers actually read aloud to students during the school day. But data on time spent in class allowing students to read on their own could suggest that teacher read-alouds aren't prioritized either. For instance, 82 percent of teachers surveyed recently by the International Literacy Association agreed that students should read independently for at least 20 minutes a day, but only 33 percent said their schedule permitted them to block off that amount of time during class.

When teachers do find the time to read to their students, they report positive results. Longtime elementary teacher Deloris Fowler's efforts to instill in her students the joy of reading were captured in a 2020 article in The Atlantic. She observed that her 3rd grade students were far more engaged when she read chapter books to them than content from the basal readers that came with required literacy curriculum; she reported that they begged her to keep reading when the allotted reading time was over.

Teachers who read to students beyond elementary school report similar findings. In an opinion piece for Education Week, 8th grade teacher Christina Torres described her "read-along" strategy, in which she would read from a book and her students would follow along in their own copy, as hugely beneficial. She said it increased student enjoyment and engagement in addition to building community within the class.

Torres, a teacher at Honolulu's Punahou School, described the reaction of her English students when she would read books aloud to them. "Should we stop for today?" Torres would ask, after reading aloud for a period, to which they would collectively respond: "Noooo!"

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Reading Aloud to Students Shouldn't Get Lost in Shift to 'Science of Reading,' Teachers Say

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Why reading aloud to students is a critical tool for developing literacy and a love for reading.