Why do I read aloud to my kids (now ages 11 and 7) when they can—and do—read to themselves?

Reason #2:  For My Own Enjoyment

I loved books as a child. When I was eight, my parents brought home a copy of The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene: the first of the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories. I went on to devour the whole series. I remember loving E.L. Konigburg’s From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House on the Prairie, Judy Blume’s Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, and S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders.   

But, let’s face it. It’s been a while since I was a child. All of the books mentioned above were published before 1980. And there have been a lot of good children’s books published since then.

That’s another reason I read aloud to my kids. It gives me an excuse to delve into all these great new middle grade novels—books by Rick Riordan, Jeff Kinney, Louis Sachar, and many others. (Note: I didn’t put J.K. Rowling or Suzanne Collins on the list because I read their books to myself first…).

So, the next time you go to the library or bookstore, why not pick up something for your kids that you want to read too?