Reading aloud is one of the few parenting habits that almost every expert agrees on. Pediatricians recommend it from birth, and the benefits do not stop when a child learns to read. What changes is how you do it. Here is what reading aloud looks like at each stage, and how to keep it going as children grow.
One study estimated that children who are read five books a day hear about 1.4 million more words by the time they start kindergarten than children who are never read to. Even one book a day adds up to hundreds of thousands of words.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that parents read aloud to children starting in infancy, because shared reading builds vocabulary, listening skills and the parent-child bond at the same time. Books contain words and sentence patterns that rarely come up in everyday conversation, so a child who is read to regularly hears a richer kind of language than daily chat provides.
At this age, the book is mostly an excuse for closeness and your voice. Choose sturdy board books with bold pictures, faces and simple rhymes. Do not worry about finishing the book or reading every word. Point, name things, make the animal noises and follow your baby's attention. A few minutes at a time is plenty.
Toddlers love repetition, which can feel tedious to adults but is how they learn. Let them choose the same book again and again. Pause before a familiar word and let them fill it in. Ask "Where is the dog?" and let them point. Books with flaps, simple stories and rhythm work well. Expect wriggling: it is fine for a toddler to wander off and come back while you keep reading.
Stories can now be longer, with a clear beginning, middle and end. This is the age to start asking questions as you read: "What do you think will happen next?" or "How do you think she feels?" This style of interactive reading is called dialogic reading, and research shows it boosts vocabulary more than reading straight through. See our guide to asking questions while reading.
Point to the words occasionally as you read, especially repeated phrases. Children begin to notice that print carries the story and that we read from left to right.
When children start learning to read at school, keep reading aloud to them as well as listening to them read. The books they can decode themselves are necessarily simple; the books you read to them can be richer, funnier and more exciting. This keeps their love of stories ahead of their reading skill, which is what motivates the hard work of learning to decode.
Many families stop reading aloud once a child can read independently. Try not to. Reading aloud a book slightly above your child's own reading level exposes them to new vocabulary and longer sentences, and it gives you a shared story to talk about. Chapter books read over a week or two work well at bedtime.
Older children often still enjoy being read to, even if they would not admit it to friends. Take turns reading chapters, choose books with real emotional weight or adventure, and use the story to talk about bigger topics: friendship, fairness, loss and courage. If bedtime reading has stopped, audiobooks in the car or a family read-aloud on weekends can keep the habit alive.
This guide is general information for parents and carers. If you are worried about your child's development, speech or reading, talk to their teacher or doctor.
Browse the full library by age, or search the store by genre. Many books are free to read with no account.