My local bookstore has an incredibly popular story time. I kept hearing about it, from adults and children alike, so I recently went to check it out. I was blown away. How could the same story captivate the attention of everyone in the room—from the oldest grandparent to the youngest toddler? Reading levels in the crowd ranged from not yet reading to highly fluent, yet everyone was focused and entertained.

The two most important factors in a successful read-aloud are a great book selection and a great delivery. When these two factors are present, it feels like magic. The room becomes still. All eyes are on the reader. The crowd collectively furrows at the worrisome parts of the story and roars with laughter at the funny parts. When good stories are read aloud, they can instantly lift up, teach, and unite diverse groups of people. Few things in life are so simple, yet so powerful.



If you’re looking to boost the literacy skills of your children—and inspire family bonding at the same time—make a habit of reading a story, poem, or chapter aloud on a daily basis. In your family, you may have developing readers of a variety of ages, interests, and reading levels. Independent reading time is important for ensuring each child's reading needs are met, but reading aloud as a family is an enjoyable and important way to bring everyone together. Everyone benefits, and it can be a relaxing part of the day for you too.

For tips on how to make your read-aloud time effective and engaging, check out this informative and creative handout from literacyworldwide.org. Readaloud.org is a wonderful site with great book suggestions to keep your children engaged.

Reading aloud is clearly beneficial as a group activity, and it also works wonders on an individual basis. Teacher modeling is a research-proven, highly effective way to develop literacy skills. Because many parents don’t have the time to sit with their children individually for long stretches of time, One Minute Reader incorporates expressive audio recordings of stories by professional voice talents. This way, developing readers are able to work independently, at their own level, and still reap the benefits of being read to.