Mighty Read Alouds!

We at Teaching Authors are celebrating #WorldReadAloudDay! April read aloud to her dog (in PJs!)

Carmela's post began the celebration, and Esther read poetry aloud to her grandson via Skype with glee!

I thought you might be interesting in a few treasures I found this week.

One of my favorite sites, A Mighty Girl “… embraces the value of reading aloud for all of its practical merits, but just as importantly for introducing high-quality Mighty Girl literature into the lives of children everywhere. With that in mind, we've expanded our Read Aloud Collection to include 212 high-quality books all starring smart, confident, and courageous Mighty Girl characters. The featured stories are perfect for reading aloud with older elementary-aged children or as independent reading for kids." To browse their special feature on “212 Read Aloud Books Starring Mighty Girls,” visit here. No doubt you will see a few familiar titles, including my own Big River’s Daughter!

For younger children, you’ll  discover hundreds of girl-empowering picture books in their "Picture Book Collection" here.  

More helpful read aloud lists include these treasures:

Read Aloud Revival  is “… a community of parents just like you who know that when our kids are grown and gone, they won’t likely mind that their childhood included dishes piled in the sink, that we never ever reached the bottom of the laundry basket.”  

Nourishing My Scholar offers another intriguing list. The site is managed by homeschooling manager Erica, and “…is filled with information to help you explore a child led education while making meaningful connections with your children.” 

Sarah Anderson is a high school English teacher, offering a special list for the older reader at YA Love. Says Mrs. Anderson, “My students loved it and often asked me to read “just one more chapter.”  Since then I’m much more comfortable reading books where characters swear, but I make sure to choose books that aren’t over the top in that category.  It sometimes shocks my students to hear me read those parts, but we have a conversation about why that language is in the book and how we won’t be using that language in class.”

A.J. O’Connell at Book Riot offers ten reasons why reading aloud can be a fun a winter tradition, stating, “Children’s books are important, of course, but we’ve found that reading a book the whole family likes meets needs we didn’t realize we had.”

Reading aloud is a transforming power. Says Pam Allyn, 

“Literacy is an act of power and freedom. It is why slaves in our wrenching and painful U.S. history were forbidden to learn to read and write, and why young girls living in repressive societies today are kept out of the classroom. When children realize the power of narrative, they begin to dismantle patriarchy, racism, and oppression. In a true democratic society, every child has these tools of literacy to both absorb the stories of the world and to tell his or her own.”

What are your favorite stories to read aloud?

Bobbi Miller