Did you know that Feb 1 is World Read Aloud Day? We didn’t either. But we love that the power of reading aloud is being celebrated today across the globe.
Researchers who study language acquisition and literacy tell us that reading aloud is the best way to help children develop word mastery and grammatical understanding, which form the foundation of solid literacy skills. Just a year ago the Washington Post noted that reading aloud with children “helps them learn to speak, interact, bond with parents and read early themselves, and reading with kids who already know how to read helps them feel close to caretakers, understand the world around them and be empathetic citizens of the world.”
And kids love it. “Is today Reading Buddies?” they shout as they run-walk-run in after school.
LCEC’s eighteen adult Reading Buddies come to the LCEC for an hour on Tuesdays or Thursdays and read one-on-one with two young Reading Buddies in our elementary afterschool program.
Of course, reading with children is a rewarding experience for adults, too. You can’t beat getting a note from a child, “You are the best reading butty ever.”
On World Read Aloud Day we celebrate all Reading Buddies, young and not-so-young, who are laying the groundwork for all of us to reach our full potential.
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