Bedtime Stories for Little Learners: The Benefits of Reading Aloud for All Children

As bedtime approaches and the day winds down, there’s a simple yet profoundly impactful activity that can benefit your little learners: bedtime stories. At the Margaret Washington Literacy Center, the Read-Aloud Program has been championing the power of reading aloud to children, well beyond the years they learn to read by themselves. This beloved routine is more than just a fun bonding activity—it's a building block for lifelong learning and development.

Why Continue Reading Aloud?

While children may start reading on their own, the benefits of hearing stories read aloud continue to offer tremendous value. Here are a few reasons why the Read-Aloud Program emphasizes this practice:

1. Enhanced Comprehension: Stories come to life in new ways when read aloud. This practice helps children understand complex language, learn new words, and grasp more intricate storylines than they might on their own.

2. Building Vocabulary: Even after children learn to read, their listening comprehension still outpaces reading comprehension. Hearing new words in context before seeing them on the page can boost vocabulary acquisition—a key component in educational success.

3. Encouraging Love for Reading: Reading aloud makes literary adventures enjoyable and engaging, fostering a lifelong love for reading. It’s a time when books are associated with warmth and attention, which can turn even reluctant readers into book lovers.

4. Emotional Bonding: The time spent reading together strengthens emotional bonds. This secure attachment contributes positively to a child’s emotional and social health, offering a sense of security and shared enjoyment.

5. Cognitive Benefits: Regular reading aloud supports cognitive development by stimulating language and literacy skills, enhancing concentration, and encouraging curiosity and imagination.

   
   

A Continued Commitment to Literacy

At the Margaret Washington Literacy Center, we witness daily how stories enchant and engage our children. The statistics back up our observations: A Scholastics survey published in 2019 revealed that over 80% of children aged 6-14 who are read to said they love or like read-aloud time. By reading to your child at bedtime you can contribute significantly to your child's developmental success.

Let’s keep the tradition of bedtime stories alive. It’s not just about ending the day with a quiet moment, but about enriching the minds and hearts of our little learners. Together, we can light up young minds, one story at a time!

About The Margaret Washington Literacy Center

One of the flagship programs of the Early Excellence Project is The Margaret Washington Literacy Center (MWLC). The program addresses the opportunity gap in reading by partnering with early childhood education sites and K-5 schools in the Hill District of Pittsburgh and offering online resources for caregivers of young children. Programming focuses on developing social-emotional skills, reading comprehension, and fluency, laying a strong foundation in literacy. MWLC's strategic focus areas include culturally sustaining literacy, community engagement, and partnership. These initiatives aim to tackle the complex challenges in early childhood literacy, striving for improved outcomes for preschool to fifth-grade students.

5 Tips to Prepare Your Child for Preschool

As the end of summer approaches, it’s time to start thinking about how to get your little ones ready for preschool. Starting school is a significant milestone, and with a little preparation, you can ensure your child feels confident and excited. Here are five tips to help your child get off to a great start!

1. Develop Early Literacy Skills

Example Activity: Set aside time each day to read together. Choose a variety of books, including those with repetitive text and rhyming words. Talk about the pictures, ask questions, and encourage your child to predict what happens next. Check out our Literacy Lessons for Little Learners for some ideas of books you can enjoy at home. <add link>

Why It Matters: Reading with your child helps them develop a love for books and strengthens their vocabulary. Early literacy is crucial for school readiness. Engaging in daily reading activities fosters language development and comprehension skills.

2. Encourage Independence

Example Activity: Practice self-help skills such as dressing, using the toilet, and washing hands. Make a game out of these routines to make them fun. For example, include your child in selecting their outfit for the day or create a step-by-step song for hand washing.

Why It Matters: Independence in these areas helps your child feel more confident and less reliant on adults for basic needs. This will support self-care skills as part of social and emotional development.

3. Foster Social Skills

Example Activity: Arrange playdates or small group activities where your child can interact with peers. Teach them simple games that require taking turns and sharing. Role-play scenarios like asking to join a game or resolving a disagreement.

Why It Matters: Preschool is a social environment, and the ability to interact positively with others is key. Developing social skills helps your child make friends, cooperate with others, and navigate the preschool setting smoothly.

4. Build Fine Motor Skills

Example Activity: Engage in activities that involve using their hands and fingers, such as drawing, cutting with child-safe scissors, and playing with playdough. Simple tasks like stringing beads or assembling puzzles are also excellent. Stickers are another great way to build fine motor skills. Have your child peel stickers and make patterns on a sheet of paper. 

Why It Matters: Fine motor skills are necessary for tasks like writing, cutting, and manipulating small objects. The PA standards highlight the importance of developing these skills to support academic and everyday activities in preschool.

5. Introduce Basic Math and Science Concepts

Example Activity: Incorporate counting, sorting, and measuring into daily routines. For example, count the steps as you walk, sort toys by color or size, and use measuring cups during cooking. Explore nature together, discussing shapes, sizes, and patterns. You might also consider using an online tool, like Khan Academy Kids, a free tool that exposes preschoolers to fun and engaging learning activities. 

Why It Matters: Early exposure to math and science concepts sets the foundation for future learning. The PA standards recognize the importance of these skills in problem-solving and logical thinking.

Preparing your child for preschool doesn’t have to be difficult. By incorporating simple activities into your daily routine, which are probably things you are already doing, you can continue helping your child develop the skills they need to thrive. Remember, the goal is to make learning fun and engaging. The Early Excellence Project is here to support you every step of the way. Let’s make this transition into preschool an exciting adventure for your child!

Imagine a Day Without Child Care - Advocating for Early Childhood Education in Harrisburg

The Early Excellence Project is dedicated to narrowing the opportunity gap and supporting early childcare centers in receiving resources and accreditations to enrich the learning of Black and Brown children. Our team is working to ensure that every child has access to the foundational education they need to thrive, and we advocate tirelessly for the resources and policies necessary to support this vision.

Advocacy in Harrisburg

Recently, our staff traveled to Harrisburg for a Day Without Child Care, to advocate for increased state investment in the early childhood education workforce. This visit was organized by Start Strong PA as part of their effort to address the critical issues facing early childhood education providers, you can learn more about their work here.

The Current Crisis

Pennsylvania is experiencing a historic shortage of childcare teachers, leading to a reduction of 26,000 childcare slots available for families​​. This shortage is a direct result of inadequate pay and support for early childhood educators. The average early childhood education (ECE) teacher earns just $29,000 per year, a salary that does not cover the cost of living in any county in Pennsylvania​​. This reality impact the early childhood workforce and our entire commonwealth more broadly in several ways:

• Economic Impact: The childcare shortage impacts the broader economy. Businesses suffer when employees cannot find reliable childcare, leading to increased absenteeism and decreased productivity. Childcare is not just a family issue; it is a workforce issue that affects the entire state economy.

• Workforce Wages: We emphasized the need for fair wages for ECE teachers. Current wages are unsustainable and contribute to high turnover rates. Approximately 50% of ECE educators do not plan to, or are unsure if they will, remain in their jobs over the next five years​​.

• Equity in Education: Investment in early childhood education is an investment in equity. Black and Brown children often face significant barriers to quality education, and underfunded childcare services exacerbate these disparities. By increasing state investment, we can provide better support to the educators who serve these communities.

Call to Action

We urge all Pennsylvanians to join us in advocating for more substantial investment in the early childhood education workforce. Here’s how you can help:

• Contact Your Legislators: Find your state representative and state senator here and urge them to support increased funding for ECE.

• Share on Social Media: Use the hashtags #RaiseChildCare, #CareCantWait, and #SolveChildCare to amplify our message. Tag @StartStrongPA to ensure our voices are heard by policymakers.

Our trip to Harrisburg is just one step in our ongoing advocacy efforts. The Early Excellence Project remains committed to fighting for the resources and policies necessary to support high-quality early childhood education for all children, especially those from marginalized communities. Together, we can ensure that every child in Pennsylvania has access to the education they deserve.