Reading with children tends to create happy moments and memories for both the adult and the child. There is nothing better than diving into a good story with someone you love. 

In our classrooms, we do a lot of reading. Beyond just being a fun experience, it is an important aspect of students’ education and for a good reason! Reading aloud benefits our students (even the older elementary students!) in many ways- some we might not even realize. 

here are some of the amazing benefits of doing a read aloud in your classroom

It teaches social and life skills.

When you read a story with a relatable story line, it’s not only entertaining, but it teaches young minds a lot about how to navigate the world around them. They are still young so they need guidance on how to problem solve in certain situations as well as what is and isn’t acceptable socially. This also creates a way for students to explore other emotions in a safe way.

It helps with vocabulary and increases communication skills.

Studies show that reading a lot of books is a great way to build up a vocabulary in readers. This also benefits their communication skills. Seeing book characters react to certain situations and communicate their needs can be a powerful way to model students the behavior you expect or that they should adopt in the future when they are in a similar situation. 

It develops cognitive functioning.

Reading is proven to increase language skills. This has a direct impact on the work we do in the classroom! Language skills improve academic skills, plain and simple. In fact, studies also show that students who get more reading time (aloud or solo), generally achieve more academically. Cognitive functioning is increased during reading because it stimulates the brain to think and imagine. 

It increases their attention span.

The ability to focus on something and pay attention to it for more than a minute or two is a skill we have to work on. Getting students wrapped up in a good book that captures their attention and makes them concentrate and really listen is amazing for their attention span. This helps them later on because they can focus while learning or doing school work. 

The benefits of reading span a child’s life in all ways. It helps them socially, emotionally, cognitively, and academically. There’s so many benefits it’s hard to even list them all. 

It all starts with reading aloud in those early years. Choosing the right book to read aloud with your students is important because you want something that will capture their attention and, hopefully, teach them something useful as well. 

I have a list of go-to books that I pull out for this reason! 

Here are some book ideas for your next 5th grade read aloud

1.  Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea  

2.  Rescue by Jennifer A. Nielsen  by Jennifer A. Nielsen 

3.  One for the Murphys by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

4. Everest Series by Gorman Norman

5. The Shadow Children Series by Margaret Peterson Haddix (I usually just read the first one and then it hooks them to read more!)

These books are a great place to get started. They show students how enjoyable reading really is! 
If you are looking for more books to read aloud, check out my favorite fall books here!