Consider asking a child in your life to describe themselves in only a few words. Would being a “bookworm” or “reader” take up one of those traits? Many people describe themselves in these terms alongside characteristics like funny, creative, or intelligent. As children grow, being a reader can be seen as a trait that some people either have or don’t have. I hear others call themselves adventurers and think, “That is incredibly NOT the kind of person I am.” However, we should hold reading to a higher standard than just a hobby. Self-identifying as a reader should be as serious as being someone who breathes air, drinks water, and takes care of themselves.

I don’t mean to sound hyperbolic when I say this: reading is serious business. There are many traits that we hope children will develop: kindness, responsibility, respect, etc. We should make it clear to the youngest members of our community that reading makes a difference. I’m not saying this just as a lover of the library, but as a lover of data. A person who just “doesn’t like to read” not only misses out on the adventures that books can provide, but may also miss out on cognitive, social, and emotional benefits due to their lack of exposure to literature. 

“Okay, Mae. We get it. Kids should be readers. How can we encourage that?”, you ask. My enthusiastic response is: Reading Aloud! 

Reading aloud may seem like a chore reserved for the benefit of the very young. It’s a simple proposition on the surface: you can’t read, so I’ll read to you. But reading aloud isn’t just a way to assist kids until they can take on the task themselves. Countless studies have shown that children who are read aloud to benefit both intellectually and emotionally. In a study by the Cincinnati Children’s Reading and Literacy Discovery Center on the effects on a child’s brain when read aloud to, researchers saw the minds of children whose parents read aloud to them light up and suggest that “they will enjoy a cognitive advantage over peers who have not” been read to (Gurdon, 8). The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) even recognizes reading aloud as a part of Early Childhood Health and Development. According to their published statistics, 1 in 3 children do not have the language skills they need for reading when they begin kindergarten.  With this evidence, we can see that being a “reader” plays a major role in how children begin their education. We have a responsibility to set them up for success through the practice of exposure to good materials.  

So, how do we get books into families’ hands to begin reading aloud? We must make them accessible to every family. The AAP shared that “by 3 years of age, there is a 30-million-word gap between children from the wealthiest and poorest families”. You cannot read aloud if you have no book to go from. More books equal more ideas and words for children to interact with. Even after children gain some access to books through school, “80% of those living below the poverty threshold fail to develop reading proficiency by the end of third grade” (AAP, 2021). Thankfully, there are resources that are free or low-cost that can be used to expand access: 

• Local Libraries: Children who live within our taxing area can receive an OFPL library card at no charge. Families that are outside the O’Fallon city limits can potentially purchase a Non-Resident Card each year or receive a card from their home library. Patrons without library cards can still look through books and enjoy other resources in-house.  
• Kids Read Aloud Activities: Youth of various age groups get to enjoy read alouds by our own Miss Julie, which require no library card to attend. There is also the library’s Read to a Dog event on the 2^nd Tuesday of each month. See here for our calendar for more information.  
• Reading Incentives: Our library invites families to register their children between 0 to 5 years old to read 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten. As a child hits various reading milestones, they can receive prizes, free books and even a backpack when they complete the program. More information can be found here. 
• Tutoring: One-on-one time reading can help children strengthen their ability to read and understand texts. Currently, the library offers free tutoring through the American Reads program. More information and appointment booking can be found here. 
• Donating Gently Used Books: Many places accept gently used book donations and sell them for lower prices. The Friends of the Library Book Sale has many children’s titles available for only 50 cents. You can always bring your donations inside for drop off at the library. Others may be available on Facebook marketplace or thrift stores in-person and online.  
• Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library: “Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a book gifting program that mails free, high-quality books to children from birth to age five, no matter their family’s income.” All children (from birth to age 5) in the 62269 zip code can enroll for free thanks to our donors! If you would like to make a donation towards this program, see more info here. 
• Little Free Libraries: O’Fallon is one of many communities that has little libraries available. They are always open for children to grab books. Consider making donations (or switching out books when you take one) to these charming and important community resources. 

If you read that list and are surprised that so many resources exist to put books in the hands of children, just know I am sure I still missed some. THAT is how important it is to make reading accessible to all! Author Kate DiCamillo did not hyperbolize when she said, “Reading aloud makes readers. Reading aloud makes writers. Reading aloud changes lives.” 

Mae works in our Circulation Department and in Adult Services. She has a passion for education as well as tiny, flocked figurines. She can sometimes be seen roaming around in the brightest of colors. 

Works Cited 

American Academy of Pediatrics. “Early Literacy.” AAP, https://www.aap.org/en/patient- c are/early-childhood/early-childhood-health-and-development/early-literacy/. Accessed 5 December 2023. 

Gurdon, Meghan Cox. The enchanted hour: the miraculous power of reading aloud in the age of distraction. New York, NY, 2019.  

Trelease, Jim, Cydni Ciorgis. Jim Trelease’s read-aloud handbook. New York, NY, Penguin Books, 2019. 

Online Resources: 

https://reachoutandread.org/ : Includes plenty of resources for the caretakers of children from multiple backgrounds. 

https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/early-childhood/early-childhood-health-and-development/early-literacy/

Informational Books on Reading Aloud:  

Bringing up bookmonsters : the joyful way to turn your child into a fearless, ravenous reader / Amber Ankowski, PhD, Andy Ankowski. 

The enchanted hour : the miraculous power of reading aloud in the age of distraction / Meghan Cox Gurdon. 

Jim Trelease’s read–aloud handbook / [Jim Trelease] ; edited and revised by Cyndi Giorgis.