Episode 6 – The Importance of Reading Aloud
Sarah Loader
Literacy Consultant
Rebecca Durose-Croft:
Hi, and welcome to Westchester words. I'm Rebecca Durose-Croft, content and services director at Westchester education services. Today, we are talking about reading aloud, which feels quite pertinent as the summer holidays stretch out in front of us, but also because of recent conversations in education, around reading for pleasure, which feels tied into this topic. I'm here with literacy consultant, Sarah Loader, to give us a view on what reading aloud can provide, at what age we can read aloud to our children, to why we might want to and crucially at the moment, how it can be pleasurable and promote a lifelong love of reading. Thanks for joining me today, Sarah.
Sarah Loader:
Thanks Rebecca. Yeah, I think there's a real opportunity at the moment because of parents' increased engagement in their children's reading to build on that and create really lovely shared reading experiences, no longer confined to the home learning requirements, but excitingly free and , and sort of boundless trying out different types of books, authors genres, and what better way to do that together than reading aloud?
Rebecca Durose-Croft:
Absolutely. So what age group does this apply to then? Should we be reading aloud to children up till they're fluent or beyond?
Sarah Loader:
Beyond definitely the idea of there being an age limit for reading aloud to children, it is interesting in fact, as is why this activity is confined to children at all being read to can be a hugely comforting, generous, collaborative experience.
Rebecca Durose-Croft:
You mean for older children here?
Sarah Loader:
Yes. Older children and beyond young adults, adults. There's no reason to stop really. And there's actually huge advantages to keep reading aloud to our children as , as long as they'll let us do.
Rebecca Durose-Croft:
So. So can you explain then how that might look like? It's a bit different, I guess, from reading aloud to babies and toddlers?
Sarah Loader:
Well, yes and no. I think we, we read to little children for lots of reasons. We read to them for comfort, for development, for bonding to create downtime and help teach them vocabulary. And it's not that different as children get older. It's just that the reading material changes. Instantly, children's vocabulary took a real nose dive during lockdown. And so perhaps more than ever, we should be thinking about ways to focus on that at home. And reading aloud is a brilliant way to develop that at all ages. There's a perception, a misconception, I'd say that reading aloud is only useful for children who can't read themselves, but reading aloud provides a huge amount, whatever the age. Um , as I just mentioned, it introduces new unfamiliar vocabulary, which is incredibly useful. It's also a great opportunity to be close to our children, to have uninterrupted one to one time to offer undivided attention, which now that it's a bit less forced upon us might be nice for parents to reinvest in. If we are reading something, that's one step ahead of what children might be able to read themselves. It's also aspirational, but as well as all of that, and really importantly, it can be very valuable in terms of comprehension and analysis skills. So talking about what you are reading, and we know that because of the impact that has on vocabulary with children , um , and babies. We can use that for children as they get older, to develop other skills. So making interpretations deductions predictions, and it's also worth remembering that reading together can be a great way to start a conversation. So as children get older and those sorts of conversations become potentially harder, or there's a bit more distance between parents and children, books can be a really useful way in.
Rebecca Durose-Croft:
Yeah, that's a really good point. I know from my own experience as a mum though, that finding that uninterrupted undivided time can be really tricky for lots of parents. Yeah,
Sarah Loader:
Yeah, absolutely. And sometimes often it's the last thing you feel like doing when you've been working or looking after children all day in those days when, when there's just nothing left to give, which we all have frequently for some of us, but it doesn't have to be a long stretch of time. Little and often is probably more beneficial actually. And when you find the right book, it can be quite calming and comforting for the reader too . There's a misconception that because a book is written for a child or a young adult that it's of lower value or interest or literary skill than books that are written for adults, but that's not the case at all. There are some incredibly interesting thought provoking picture books, wordless books, even, and young adult titles. So finding the right book is crucial. And the other thing I'd say related to the issue of finding time is that it doesn't have to be at bedtime and that might work for some. And that's great by all means, stick to that if it's working, but depending on, on your routine, on the level of cooperation at different times of day, on siblings or other family members , you might have around the house, there are other options. First thing in the morning, once some members of the family are up and out can work or early evenings once very little ones have gone to bed. But before you are too exhausted to keep your eyes open. I know that for us during lockdown, we found a bit of space between the children's suppertime and our evening meal, which lent itself really well to reading together as a family, but it's very individual. So try out some different ideas and find the best fit for you.
Rebecca Durose-Croft:
Yeah, it's interesting isn't it about what we did differently during lockdown? And I wonder whether that experience has changed our practices in terms of how we read with our children.
Sarah Loader:
Yeah. I mean, I expect it did. And you know, we know from research carried out post pandemic, that many parents are more engaged with their children's learning, which is a positive thing. We know more about our children following lockdown, their likes, interests, dislikes, strengths, and weaknesses in relation to their learning specifically. And that can be capitalized on in lots of ways, but certainly with finding ways of enjoying books together. For many, I think spending so much time with , with their children during the pandemic, often under huge amounts of pressure will have squeezed out some routines, like reading aloud, but things have moved on now, and there's an opportunity to take reading aloud up again with new insights and new enthusiasm. I think reading aloud also provides a really interesting alternative to TV, which is another way that children relax and zone out and often feel calm. And still the advantage of being read to is that the imagination is constantly working. So children are forced to think about what's being read and what , what they're hearing and to bring it to life themselves, which is a great skill.
Rebecca Durose-Croft:
I suppose , to counter that though, and to your point earlier about those , those days when parents just feel exhausted , um, reading aloud requires that adult input, doesn't it? Which TV doesn't obviously.
Sarah Loader:
Yeah, you're right, of course. And that's a good point. And actually the purpose of TV can be that it gives parents a bit of a break or a bit of time to get things done at home. But interestingly, audiobooks are a really good option if finding the time to read aloud is proving challenging. Obviously they don't provide the closeness or the sense of nurture that reading aloud together does, but they do force the imagination to do a lot of work, and they're great for increasing vocabulary and creativity. They're also really portable, so they can be listened to all over the place, whether you're in the garden or the car or the bath or bed.
Rebecca Durose-Croft:
Yeah, it's interesting, isn't it? That while we've seen that huge increase during the last year in adults' audio use , uh , podcasts and audiobooks, we wouldn't necessarily see that translate to children. Although there has been an increase and we are seeing more coming through this year. Why do you think that is?
Sarah Loader:
I think there's just a lot competing for children's attention anywhere. Anytime access to TV has probably had a detrimental effect on other children's activities, but also, and interestingly, there's a lot less air time given to the benefits of audiobooks for children and the ways that these can actually help parents out. It's a kind of manipulation of the reading aloud experience that doesn't apply to younger children so much though. I do know of parents reading themselves, reading picture books for their little ones, which isn't too far removed from this, but essentially very young children tend to need that interaction. As they get older , though, you can mix it up a bit. So you could rely on audio books as well as your own reading allowed sessions. And I think it's certainly something that parents should be considering.
Rebecca Durose-Croft:
You mentioned as well, that the reading material changes as children get older, which is understandable and obvious, but there is so many books out there. It can often just feel like a vast vacuum of choices. How do you know what books to have a go at with your kids and to read with them?
Sarah Loader:
Yeah, you're right. I mean, there's a wealth of good material out there and some not so good stuff. And I think you're spot on with the idea of having a go, you need to browse the bookshops and libraries together, ideally, and take a punt on something. You know, better still actually get your children to , to make them as the selections themselves revisiting. Some of the older classics is worthwhile as well. And although some might feel a bit dated and old fashioned, it's not necessarily a bad thing and it doesn't make them unenjoyable or redundant for readers today. Um , another suggestion I have is to revisit books that you enjoyed growing up, because that can be really mutually enjoyable, going back to those. And I guess finally, what I'd say is that while it's worth persevering with books, and I think that that's important to a certain extent, it's not worth pushing on with something that nobody's enjoying. It's okay to decide that a book's not for you and, and as children get older, it's actually quite important that they start to make those choices for themselves and to understand those choices , um , and have the capacity to articulate them.
Rebecca Durose-Croft:
Yeah, that that's so true. And even as adults, we feel guilty and a bit of a failure when we don't finish a book. I mean, I must have four or five that I've got halfway through, which I, you know, I just can't give in and say, I'm not going to finish them.
Sarah Loader:
Yeah. I know it's madness. Isn't it. When you think about it, it doesn't really make sense to assume that we'd enjoy everything we read. And , and so why should we plow on with something that we are not enjoying? And actually, I guess it's the same with rereading books. There's a real pressure to read a lot to build up this sort of vast library of read material. But rereading books is really valuable too. Favorite books can be a huge source of comfort and pleasure. And we know this from very young children who often want the same book every night, or actually in the case of my daughter, the same book over and over again each night , um , because it's familiar and it's known and it's trusted and it's become, you know, it's like a lullaby for her. And we don't question it at that age, even when it drives us bonkers. We accept it and we acknowledge it and , and we do it. But as children get older, we become so much stricter and more dictatorial. When a book is read, it's done and it's put away, but there's real value in going back to favorites and rereading books together and remembering what you loved about them and letting those feelings deepen as you kind of get to know the book better and better. I know when I was young, we had a series of books that our mum read to us that we all loved and they represented a sort of familiarity and comfort, kind of like being tucked under a warm blanket together. And those old books were brought out whenever they were needed. And it's sort of like a family joke in the end, you know, whenever anyone was sick or a bit sad or lonely, there , there they were. They came out and it was like an old friend visiting. And then when my mom was ill herself towards the end of her life, I read them, aloud to her and the books themselves brought us closer together. They gave us a shared experience. They also took us both back to, to that same shared experience that we'd had throughout the years. And I'd love to foster that with my own children, you know, maybe not with the same books, but perhaps we'll be able to find our own comfort stories if you like. I know that , um, someone told me once that you should reread your favorite book every decade, because you'll get something new out of it with each read. And , and that's an interesting idea, which I guess sort of feeds back into that notion of, of reading for pleasure and really exploring and , and being open to what that means.
Rebecca Durose-Croft:
Yeah. I, I really do love that idea of going back and rereading something every decade. I know since becoming a parent, things that I've reread and rewatched have been totally different to me and I've come at them from a different angle each time. So I think that understanding of as you grow and change, so will your perspective on what you read and what you enjoy? Absolutely. Could we say then that accepting all books have to offer is included in this idea of reading aloud? Yes,
Sarah Loader:
Absolutely. I'm reading for pleasure is about enjoying books, ultimately really loving and being enveloped by the experience. And , and I can't think of a better way to achieve that than reading aloud with someone you love.
Rebecca Durose-Croft:
Thank you, Sarah . I think that's the perfect ending to a really interesting conversation.
Sarah Loader:
Thanks Rebecca.
Rebecca Durose-Croft:
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