Storytime Preps Kids for School

There's more evidence that reading aloud to young children—especially in an engaging manner—promotes emergent literacy and language development and better prepares them for school.

“Reading Aloud to Children: The Evidence” says the practice promotes a love of reading, which is even more important than improving specific literacy skills.

“When parents hold positive attitudes toward reading, they are more likely to create opportunities for their children that promote positive attitudes toward literacy, and they can help children develop solid language and literacy skills,” says the report by Elisabeth Duursma of the Boston-based nonprofit literacy group Reach Out and Read, and Barry Zuckerman and Marilyn Augustyn of Boston University's School of Medicine. When parents share books with their kids, the authors say, they also promote an understanding of the world, social skills, and the ability to learn coping strategies.

In fact, this may be more apparent among high-risk children from low-income families who have parents with little education, who belong to a minority group, and do not speak English. That's because they're less likely to be exposed to frequent and interactive shared reading.