BEDTIME STORY & READING TO OLDER CHILDREN

According to recent research, when children begin to read independently (between the ages of 6 and 9) their parents usually stop reading aloud to them. Yet, most of those children say “they loved it” when their parents read aloud to them at home. And the top reason is that bedtime story is a special time with their parents.

Reading to older children (especially if the books are above the child’s current reading level)  has also many other benefits: improves their reading skills, reading comprehension and vocabulary.

But regrettably, the childhood tradition of a bedtime story seems to be in serious peril, as experts warn that “parents are not making the time to read to their children at the end of the working day, and stop reading to them at too young an age“. This article at The Guardian gives full information about a recent survey “that reveals that 83% of children enjoyed being read aloud to, with 68% describing it as a special time with their parents“.

 

It is not always easy to choose a book to read to an independent reader after a hard working day, but these are some of my favorite options:

• child-friendly versions of the classics
• to revisit some favorite chapter books from our own childhood
• The Harry Potter series
• Classical Poems
• And above all, “The Little Prince”.

It melts my heart that  my older son, who knows how to read on his own,  still asks  me every night to read him a story.

No matter what you read to your kids, they will love the special time with you. Happy reading!