STRAIGHT FROM THE SENATE

READING ALOUD

TO CHILDREN

Value of this simple, but powerful exercise cannot be overstated

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STATEHOUSE – A recent federal report says reading scores for American children have barely budged over the past two years. Perhaps the best solution to this problem won’t be found inside a school building. Perhaps it resides in the homes of our students.

More than one study has shown parents who read aloud to their children on a regular basis raise high achieving students. I know from my own personal experience about the power of reading aloud to children. I read to each of my own kids, Adam and Erik, and it made quite a difference – both for them and for me.

Several things happen when you take the time to regularly read aloud to your children:

•It helps really young children with language and speech development;

•It develops longer attention spans in toddlers and encourages them to become good listeners;

•It bolsters the ability in older children to understand grammar and sentence structure;

•It shows them firsthand you think reading is important. We often don’t realize how much our children imitate us. If we value reading, chances are, they will too;

•It stimulates curiosity, creativity and imagination;

•It teaches kids how to express themselves clearly and confidently; and

•It strengthens the bond between parent and child

In a world saturated with visual stimuli, it’s even more important to set aside time when televisions, computers and video games are turned off, so imaginations can be turned on through the power of reading. One statistic I saw recently was that kids on average are exposed each year to 1,460 hours of television, DVDs or other kinds of video. That’s the equivalent of having your child watch the epic four-hour film “Gone With the Wind” 392 times in a year.

Imaginations suffer in our world of rapid-fire, constantly changing video images. Good old-fashioned books can bring imagination back to life.

When should you start reading aloud to children? Some experts say it doesn’t hurt to start anytime. The fact they aren’t old enough to understand the story doesn’t matter. What matters is the interaction between parent and child and the auditory sensation created.

In 1985, the U.S. Department of Education’s Commission on Reading was calling “reading aloud to children” the single most important activity one could do to raise a reader. Subsequent studies over the years have shown it works.

One of the tireless crusaders for reading aloud to children is best-selling author and motivational speaker Jim Trelease. After making hundreds of presentations on the subject, Trelease says study after study confirms that students who read the most, read the best, achieve the most and achieve the best graduation rates.

Why read aloud to children, especially after they can read for themselves? Trelease puts it this way: “We read aloud to children for the same reason we talk with them – to reassure, entertain, bond, inform, arouse curiosity and inspire.”

If our kids see the excitement we have in books, perhaps they will become avid readers even when their formal schooling is over. A recent study found only 19 percent of 12th grade students read daily for pleasure.

What about the parents who struggle at reading themselves? Trealease says both parent and child can learn together by taking frequent trips to the library and checking out audio books that have accompanying text.

As President Pro Tem of the Indiana Senate, I am determined to do what I can to improve Indiana reading scores. But all parents, grandparents and caregivers can certainly help in that cause by reading aloud on a regular basis to children we love and care about, so that their future – and Indiana’s – might be brighter.

Sen. David Long (R-Fort Wayne) is President Pro Tem of the Indiana Senate. He serves District 16, which includes portions of Fort Wayne.