Should You Continue to Read Aloud to School Age Children?

School age children like to listen to more complex stories that are above their actual reading level. Reading books that are above your children’s reading level will help to increase their vocabulary. Even though they can read for themselves, older children enjoy having longer stories read aloud to them.  If they read well, they may enjoy taking turns reading aloud with you.

There are so many good books that any list can only be an introduction.  The first books on this list are short and easy (try other books by these authors as well); the rest are chapter books and series of books that you can read in installments.  You can get them from the school library or the public library.

Here are a few favorites:

• If You Give a Mouse a Cookie / If You Take a Mouse to School   (Books by Laura Numeroff)
• Arthur   (Books by Marc Brown)
• A Boy in the Doghouse   (Betsy Duffy)
• How to Eat Fried Worms    (Thomas Rockwell)
• The Boxcar Children   (Series by Gertrude Chandler Warner)
• Ramona / Henry and Ribsy / The Mouse and the Motorcycle   (Books by Beverly Cleary)
• The Indian in the Cupboard   (Series by Lynne Reid Banks)

Reading aloud together is an adventure!