World Read Aloud Day

Today is World Read Aloud Day, an initiative that calls global attention to the importance of reading aloud and sharing stories.  I’ve mentioned before on my blog that my parents read aloud to us for as long as I could remember.  Evenings were spent snuggled up in my brothers’ room or my sister and my room listening to stories from my mom or dad before bedtime.  There were four of us growing up and although we all liked different things (and still do!) my parents made it a point to make sure there were books about absolutely everything in the house.  We received books as gifts, we had magazine subscriptions to Highlights, Sports Illustrated for Kids, and American Girl and the library was within walking distance of our house.

And most importantly, reading aloud didn’t stop when we reached elementary school.  My mom read aloud to us every morning before school through high school.  We usually spent about 15-20 minutes listening to a book before running off to school, music lessons, sports practice, work and more.  We rotated who got to choose the book so it ranged from classics to contemporary stories and the collection of memories I have are still some of the strongest memories from my childhood.

There are places around the world where sharing stories and reading aloud is a luxury, where work is more important, where providing for your family leaves little time for “extras.”  But, that view needs to change, stories and books teach kids about the world around them, about who they are and where they came from and what they can do.

World Read Aloud Day was created by LitWorld and their website is full of awesome resources, so you’ve got to take a look!  And do yourself a favor and spend some time today reading aloud with a friend, a family member, a pet, whatever!