As children enter elementary school, they enter a new period of independence, including beginning to read on their own. It is exciting when children start to read independently, but it is not a skill that will be developed overnight. Reading takes practice, and it’s smart to encourage your child to keep at it. As your child begins to strengthen their reading muscles, your top goal should be to keep them excited and engaged. One way to do this is to continue incorporating reading aloud into your routine. Reading aloud still serves a very important purpose at this age, and the ongoing benefits of reading aloud as kids grow older are undeniable, which is why now is the perfect time to transform the role of read-aloud in your family to encourage active participation from your budding reader.
Elementary School Years (Ages 6-11)
The magic (and confusion) of learning to read
How to: Make the read-aloud grow up with your child
Enter the “early reader”
Even favorite picture books can be intimidating for kids. Find simple, short texts like Scholastic’s Bob Books, and take turns reading them to one another.
Tips for homes with multiple children
Learn more about how it benefits everyone when siblings read together.
Offer a variety of books
Keep favorite picture books within easy reach, but add early chapter books to the mix as well. The Scholastic Acorn line is perfect for this, pairing engaging art with more text that come together to create riveting stories with relatable characters. For more, the Scholastic Parents team put together a list of 30+ Great Books That Entice Early Readers.
Evolve the read-aloud experience to support your reader as they grow
Take turns reading aloud so your child has the opportunity to read to you, select longer books with more complex words – for instance, early chapter books from the Scholastic Branches line – or ask questions during story time to encourage critical thinking.
Reading aloud can also be a fun activity for the whole community!
Scholastic Storyvoice, a free interactive read-aloud platform, connects young readers to great stories, authors and one another.
At this age, partnering with your child’s teacher is a fantastic way to find reading success in and out of school. Teachers are a wealth of information and can provide resources that will help you support your early reader at home, and as we learned from parents of elementary school-aged children in our research, many are looking for guidance when searching for specific books that can help broach discussions about different or new experiences that their child may be facing, including navigating bullying (20%) and discussing difficult topics (32%). Among the requested resources parents are looking for:
Not only is your child’s teacher/school librarian the perfect place to start for book recommendations and resources to support discussions and strengthen reading muscles, but in them you’ll find a major cheerleader for your child’s reading development – 70% of children say their teacher or school librarian encourages them to read for fun.
Continued reading
The Association for Library Services to Children has an abundance of curated lists of award-winning and notable books for every type of reader.
The Scholastic Parents team offers tips for how to talk to your kids about tough topics, including resources to spark important conversations about bullying.
Learn more about the benefits of reading aloud and the importance of reading bedtime stories to big kids.
Have a reluctant reader at home? Scholastic Parents provides advice for how to get reluctant readers into a reading routine.