The Magic of Read Aloud

I saw a Tweet the other day that shared a quote about read aloud. It was talking about the importance of reading aloud to children, and how it can change the trajectory of their lives. It made me pause for a second. I thought back about my time as a classroom teacher. Some of my best memories are of times where my first graders would gather close to soak in wondrous words. We went on the best adventures through stories.

This was a time that I cherished with my students. We built relationships, connected with characters, felt and talked about feelings. This was a time to slow down and soak in rich vocabulary, or wonder about things of the world we may never see in person. My mind then shifted back to reality. I have had several conversations with colleagues about the demands and tight schedules. The teacher “plate” is overflowing these days. It really makes me sad. The pressure felt by educators is intense. Especially now with the “Reading Wars” going full force.

There is doubt and confusion…sadness and worry even. If I could share one thing with educators right now, it would be to remember those moments of joy doing the things that you know in your heart is good for kids. One of those things may just be sharing really good literature with them for a part of the day. There is no replacement for beautiful stories that can take kids on adventures, or that opens their mind to whole new ideas and worlds. My wish for educators as they are on shaky and uncertain ground is that they remember the good. That is what will be the fuel to keep us going. Let’s not lose the magic of reading aloud to our kids. They deserve every ounce of feeling that comes along with it.

And if you want to spread some joy and encouragement to colleagues, slip them your favorite book to share with their students. Books are gifts that keep giving each time they are shared. They aren’t meant to live on a shelf. Let’s commit to lifting each other up, and reminding each other of the good practices that we know children need. ~Whitney