Reading Aloud

I just got through reading an article in LeaderTalk about reading to our children. The blogger wrote about an auther, Jim Trelease, who has written books about the subject. One of the quotes from the article is below:

"As was reported back in 1985 by the United States Commission on Reading in its groundbreaking report, Becoming a Nation of Readers, 'The single most important activity for building the knowledge required for eventual success in reading is reading aloud to children.' The commission found conclusive evidence to support reading aloud not only in the home but also in the classroom: 'It is a practice that should continue throughout the grades.' "

I got to thinking about reading to all ages of children and wondering when we stop reading to our children. Parents of younger students are encouraged to read to their children quite often. I think my daughter is probably getting tired of me asking her if she is reading to her daughter every night. I wondered, however, how a parent might do that with older students.

I'm not sure that older students would enjoy having a parent read lengthy text to them, but I recall reading snippets of information to my daughter, which may be an avenue to start the process. (And I could be wrong on this point, as some older students may like to have that happen.) So, I encourage you to find something to read to a child today and everyday.