Experts says that reading aloud is the number one best thing parents can do to prepare their child for reading and learning. The benefits of reading aloud are numerous—including language development, creating a bond with your child, building literacy skills, brain development, and establishing a love of reading. And remember! You don’t have to stop reading to your kiddo once they’ve learned how to read. There’s something special about reading aloud to your children that creates a wonderful bond and warm memories. Not familiar with enough or confident in your ability to pick out great books to read aloud? Check out this handy list to help you get started!
Ages 0-1
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
Any book by Sandra Boyton
Little Owl’s Night by Divya Srinivasan
Goodnight Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. & John Archambault
Ages 2-3
Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman
Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans
Ages 4-6
Any Curious George books by Margret & H.A. Rey
Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton
The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson
Olivia Dances for Joy by Natalie Shaw & Patrick Spaziante
Ages 7-9
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary
James and the Giant Peach by Ronald Dahl
Poppy by Avi
McBroom’s Wonderful One-Acre Farm: Three Tall Tales by Sid Fleischman
Ages 10-12
The Boxcar Children series by Gertrude Chandler Warner
Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Wilderking Triology by Jonathan Rogers
The Wingfeather Saga series by Andrew Peterson
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
The Great Brain series by John Fitzgerald
This is just the tip of the iceberg of a huge list of amazing books to read aloud with your family. And there’s no time like the present to start!