Reading aloud by parents and other in-home caregivers (Bus, Ijzendoorn, & Pelligrini, 1995; Fox, 2001; Trelease, 2001) and by teachers (Anderson, Hiebert, Scott, & Wilkinson, 1985; Barton & Booth, 1990; Blok, 1999; Elley, 1998) is a well-known practice for enhancing literacy. Many benefits have been proposed for reading aloud to students. Some of these are discussed below. Furthermore, the sole role of reading aloud is not as the predecessor to silent reading. Indeed, teachers of upper primary, intermediate, and secondary school students who are already reading on their own also find reading aloud to be a useful practice (Jacobs & Loh, 2001; Trelease, 2001).

Benefits of reading aloud

The list below contains some of the purported benefits of reading aloud divided into two groups: benefits for students who are learning to read and benefits for all students.

Benefits of reading aloud to students who are learning to read

a. Reading aloud helps students see the link between print and language, i.e., those black marks on the page represent sounds and words, and students see the direction in which words and letters flow in the language of the book being read to them.

b. Teachers demonstrate how to hold a book, to open a book, and to turn the pages.

c. Students build their memories as they seek to recall earlier parts of a book and previously read books.

d. Hearing books read to them inspires students to want to learn to read.

 

Benefits of reading aloud to students at any level of reading proficiency

a.       Students can learn new language items, such as vocabulary and grammar, and their understanding of previously learned language is deepened and broadened by new and repeated encounters.

b.       Students’ listening skills increase.

c.       A bond of shared experience is built between the reader and the listeners.

d.       Reading aloud can be used to launch a discussion about life, topics currently being studied, and language.

e.       Students build their knowledge of the world and its inhabitants.

f.        Teachers share their enthusiasm for reading, encouraging students to read the same book, books by the same author or of the same type, or any sort of reading matter on their own