The Magic of Reading Aloud
by Sara Schwabacher, Cornerstone

One of my most vivid memories from the Minnesota winters of my childhood is that whenever one of the six children in my family complained about how long winter went on, my mother would say, "Do you want me to read you The Long Winter?" Then, every night for the next several weeks, she would gather us all onto one of my brothers' beds and read aloud a chapter from the novel by Laura Ingalls Wilder. My father would invariably fall asleep, but we children would be caught up in the story and extremely grateful that although it was cold and there was lots of snow outside, we didn't have to braid straw to burn for heat or horde wheat until the train could get through. I've never forgotten how much pleasure can be shared by adults and children reading together. My view of the world is still shaped by the books that became a part of my family's life.

This memory of my mother and Laura Ingalls Wilder came back to me while I read Mem Fox's book, The Magic of Reading: Why Reading Aloud to Our Children Will Change Their Lives Forever, (2001, Harcourt, Inc.). I had been looking for a book about reading that Cornerstone schools could share with parents. Because reading aloud is such a simple, direct, intimate way to share knowledge of print, language and the world with children, this seemed the right book to recommend.

Mem Fox, the Australian author of internationally known children's books, makes a passionate case for the value of reading aloud and explains how to make the most of read aloud times. Her message is: Read aloud early, often and continuously, and your children will "have a lifeline to their happiness, their literacy and their future." (If you are interested in reading more by and about Mem Fox, or in hearing her read Koala Lou and other favorite books aloud, you might want to check out her website at www.memfox.net.)

Fox says that the best time to start reading aloud to a baby is "the day it is born," and to continue as long as your child will let you. She also reminds us that how you read is important. The characters, stories and language of the books my mother read aloud remain vivid to this day because she was such a good reader. As Fox writes, "Expressive reading is reading that's remembered." Mem Fox, herself, is a delightful reader and her books are full of humor and rhythm. No wonder she says, "Rhymers will be readers: it's that simple. Experts in literacy and child development have discovered that if children know eight rhymes by heart by the time they're four years old, they're usually among the best readers by the time they're eight."

The Magic of Reading will re-enforce for parents how much children learn about literacy through hearing books read aloud. They learn that books tell stories that engage the mind and the heart and that reading is both an intimate and social activity. They learn to expect print to make sense. They learn the joy of the sound of written language. They add to their store of experiences of the world by hearing about far away places and long ago times. They are motivated to be able to read more and more challenging texts.

"When an understanding of the world, language and print act together as a team, reading happens. All three go hand in hand, like inseparable friends. One assists the other." Mem Fox makes the case that there is no better way for children to gain this understanding and become readers than by hearing books read aloud several times every day.