The Joy of Reading Aloud

By Heather J. Pinedo-Burns

Like many educators, I love the routines of school: the schedule, the predictability of the day, the flow of the school week, and the rhythm of the school year. Within that structure, one of my absolute favorite moments in Lower School could easily be overlooked: the special time after Lunch Recess.These are truly moments to treasure.

Each Lower School teacher may call this time something different—Rest and Read, Quiet Cool Down—but all include the same remarkable daily practice: the Read Aloud. A read aloud can feel magical. Most days, it’s a chapter book shared a little at a time, offering students a chance to pause, wonder, and imagine together.

The books teachers choose vary widely, opening doors to diverse stories, ideas, and experiences. In the Upper School, read alouds often happen during Core Time, creating a collaborative literary experience that invites students to slow down, listen deeply, and reflect on the craft and significance of a shared story.

This dedicated time is vital for building foundational literacy skills and nurturing our core capacities. Each class engages with texts differently—through character maps, plot maps, or thoughtful discussion—yet all approaches spark curiosity, strengthen comprehension, and cultivate a love of stories.

Since the early 1980s, researchers have pointed to one aspect of literacy most closely tied to student success: the read aloud. These shared moments allow children to experience literature as both a window into new perspectives and a mirror reflecting their own.

And importantly, reading aloud should not stop once children are able to read on their own. How it looks may evolve with age, but the practice still models literacy skills and strengthens listening comprehension—a critical foundation for both academic growth and interpersonal connection. At home, this might mean listening to an audiobook together or sharing a short article from the New York Times or New Yorker. The magic lies in the conversation, the connection, and the way stories come alive in our imaginations.

Reading aloud is more than just a beloved daily ritual—it’s a powerful way to nurture the whole individual. Each story helps students grow in communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity, while also strengthening focus, memory, and empathy. Listening to books read aloud enriches vocabulary, boosts comprehension, and models fluent reading, allowing students to focus on meaning rather than decoding. Through these shared experiences, stories become tools for growth, connection, and lifelong learning.

And, like an old friend, a read aloud can become a beloved text to revisit again and again. Often, after hearing a text read aloud, students will later explore reading the book on their own. This is the gift of the read aloud.

This year, Acera Core Classrooms are reading aloud:

• Charlotte’s Web
• The Land of Roar
• Island of the Aunts
• The Girl Who Drank the Moon
• Morning Girl
• Bea Wolf and Beowulf
• The Hobbit
• The Epic of Sunjata
• The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

I always love hearing about the books families enjoy together—please reach out and share your favorites with me!

Happy Reading,

Heather