Capture of Wonder of Reading Aloud1
By: Kathryn Butler
Something wondrous occurs when we read stories to children.
Research tries to quantify the marvel. Just twenty minutes of read-aloud time a day, studies proclaim, nurture literacy and cognitive development.2 The American Academy of Pediatrics strongly recommends reading aloud to children early and often to strengthen parent-child relationships and promote school readiness.3 In her book The Enchanted Hour, Wall Street Journal children’s book critic Meghan Cox Gurdon summarizes the far-reaching effects of stories on language development, literacy, and social-emotional skills, and calls reading aloud a “magic elixir.” If reading aloud were a pill, she writes, “every child in the country would get a prescription.”4
And yet, even these far-reaching benefits of reading to kids don’t capture the marvel we witness when we crack open books with them. Beyond crackling neurons and improved vocabulary, something enchanting occurs when we journey with children into worlds and words. We glimpse it as kids plead for one more chapter, or as they snuggle closer when the hero plunges into danger. We see it as they lean forward in anticipation, wondering if Charlotte will save Wilbur, or if Eustace will ever escape his dragonish fate. As author Kate DiCamillo so poignantly states, “We let our guard down when someone we love is reading us a story. We exist together in a little patch of warmth and light.”5
When we read stories to children, before our eyes we see truths inspire their minds and shape their hearts.
But how do we harness the power of stories when we we live and labor in a broken world, replete with dinging phones, sniffly noses, and flies that buzz and draw young gazes toward the ceiling? Perhaps you don’t have much experience reading aloud, and you worry your voice sounds like the wah-wah-wah of Charlie Brown’s teacher. Perhaps you’ve lovingly collected a stack of books to share with your family, but as you shoulder through the front door the smoke detector shrieks and the three-year old greets you with a fistful of hair she’s snipped off all by herself. Families may long for idyllic moments of reading by firelight with their children, but the truth is that hectic schedules, preschool squabbles, limited attention spans, and fish-shaped crackers ground into the couch easily shatter our intentions.
Take heart, friend – there is grace! If you find read-aloud time more clumsy than idyllic, the following tips may help to recapture the wonder of stories for the children in your life.
- Choose books that reflect God’s truth.
When selecting books for your family, choose those that reflect what is true, honorable, excellent, and lovely (Phil. 4:8). Bible storybooks, especially those with an emphasis on the gospel, always offer a great starting point, but any stories that feature good triumphing over evil, love for neighbor, and characters who display virtues of self-sacrifice, courage, and compassion, offer rich opportunities to discuss biblical truths with your kids.
- Put away the electronic devices.
Studies show that interruptions from cell phones diminish children’s learning during parent-child interactions.6 In an era when smart phones and tablets have morphed into appendages, putting all devices away and devoting ten minutes exclusively to reading offers kids a rare gift. Not only are you modeling behavior beneficial to their development, but when you have gospel-centered discussions during this read-aloud time but you’re also sending the message that reading about God’s story is important – so important, that all interruptions can wait.
- Slow down.
Take your time reading stories. Read slowly and clearly so kids can linger over the words. Children vary in their abilities to develop mental pictures in response to a story; ensure you’re given your listeners time to wrap their minds around the images and the action.
- Read with expression.
Don’t just recite – tantalize! In contrast with expository writing, stories invite theatrical readings. Vary your speed and rhythm. Play around with lively voices for each character – even silly ones if appropriate!
- Add sound effects.
Many children’s stories feature words that mimic specific sounds. Make use of these moments to bring the story alive.
- Don’t be afraid to move!
Don’t feel pressured to include sophisticated choreography into your story time, but carefully-timed motions can help stories come alive for listeners. Stomp when the characters stomp! Duck down when they hide! Mimic David whipping his sling through the air!
- Use pauses wisely.
Children’s stories often include familiar or repeated lines. In such instances, pause before predictable words and engage listeners in the story by inviting them to answer. Also pause to what the listeners think will happen next. Time these pauses carefully, as too many can break up the flow of the story. Use pauses to enhance their experience, not detract from it.
- Show the pictures.
If possible, when reading to a group hold the book to the side of your face as you read, with the pages displayed outward. If this is uncomfortable or awkward, read with expression, and then after reading a page sweep the book in front of you, pages out, so everyone can examine the illustrations.
- Don’t stress about age or grade level.
Kids’ listening comprehension often exceeds their reading comprehension. Don’t worry about a story being “above” kids’ heads; especially with access to pictures, they’ll often understand more than you expect, and if you’re open and inviting, they’ll speak up if a vocabulary word confuses them. Additionally, usually-surly older kids are sometimes more open to listening to books than we anticipate!
- Make it a routine.
Introduce something new, and kids may grumble. Make reading aloud a habit, however, and children come to cherish the time as part of their routine. The “right” time to read daily or weekly is the time that’s most reliably convenient – after Sunday school; during lunch, when munching kids are a captive audience; or in the darkening minutes before bed. Incorporate reading into the routine with your young ones, and watch their excitement for another story as that hour draws near.
Most of all, relish the joy of reading with your kids. When their eyes widen, pause and let the moment linger. When their jaws slacken, ask about the thoughts and emotions stirring within them. Books that linger in the imagination offer virtues that we can grasp, savor, and turn in our hands. They form our first concepts in bold brushstrokes of what it means to be courageous, heroic, and good. And in the best circumstances, the tales tucked onto our shelves point to the most magnificent story of all: the story of a hope that endures in the face of the deepest darkness. The story of a God who so loved the world, that he sent his one and only Son so we might live. And the story of that Son willingly laid down his life for us, and who promises to make all things new.
1 Adapted from “Ten Tips for Reading Aloud” in Dr. Butler’s book, The Storyteller’s Bible: A Bible Storybook Celebrating the Greatest Storyteller of All. B&H Kids (Nashville), 2025.
2John S. Hutton, Tzipi Horowitz-Kraus, Alan L. Mendelsohn, et al. “Home Reading Environment and Brain Activation in Preschool Children Listening to Stories.” Pediatrics 136 no. 3 (2015), 466-478.
3 American Academy of Pediatrics, “Early Literacy,” https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/early-childhood/early-childhood-health-and-development/early-literacy/ (Accessed February 8, 2024).
4 Meghan Cox Gurdon, The Enchanted Hour: The Miraculous Power of Reading Aloud in the Age of Distraction (New York: HarperCollins, 2019), 10.
5Meghan Cox Gurdon. The Enchanted Hour: The Miraculous Power of Reading Aloud in the Age of Distraction. Harper Collins (New York), 2019, xiii.
6 Jessa Reed, Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, and Roberta Michnick Golinkoff, “Learning on Hold: Cell Phones Sidetrack Parent-Child Interactions,” Developmental Psychology 53, no. 8 (2017): 1428-1436. https://templeinfantlab.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/12/Learning-on-Hold.pdf (Accessed April 20, 2024).
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