The Importance of Read Aloud Sessions for Children

Readers All was inaugurated on Wednesday, October 16th, 2024, with a Read Aloud Session led by elementary school principal Dr. Rachel Edoho-Eket, the author of The Principal Pals: Bright Minds, Big Dreams. Dr. Edoho-Eket gifted each child with a personalized signed copy of The Principal Pals, and its coloring activity workbook. Following the Read Aloud Session, Readers All volunteers teamed up with the children for a coloring activity to design a map of their ideal school.

Dr. Edoho-Eket reading to the children

As part of our Community Literacy Program, Readers All hosts monthly Read Aloud Sessions featuring children's book authors who read to the children. Following the reading sessions, each child is gifted a copy of the author's book to build their home library collection.

Kim Jocelyn Dickson, the author of The Invisible Toolbox: The Power of Reading to Your Child From Birth to Adolescence, points out that it becomes evident when a child has been exposed to the realm of books at home as the child is equipped with languages, stories, and virtual experiences, hence laying a solid groundwork for grasping the world of education and learning. Given this starting point, Readers All set forth to provide each child with an in-home library, filled with 35-40 culturally relevant books, to foster the love of reading between the child and the parent.

Integrating Read Aloud Sessions into daily schedules of a child's life provides a wide range of advantages that go beyond just promoting literacy. It supports the development of language, boosts cognitive abilities, promotes emotional intelligence, and enhances relationships between the child and their community.

By prioritizing Read Aloud Sessions, parents and educators can greatly influence a child's development and cultivate a lasting appreciation for reading. In the midst of a constantly evolving world, the significance of instilling a love for stories remains enduring, setting the stage for a brighter future for our children.

Written by

Rick Tamno