Barnes and Noble has a great portion of their site dedicated to online storytime.  They have numerous popular children’s books to choose from (If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, Pinkalicious, and many more) read by authors and celebrities right on the computer.  I love getting kids exciting about reading, so click here to check it out.

As a former teacher, I know the importance of reading to our children each and every day.  Sure, easier said than done, I know but it really is thatimportant.  I will try not to get preachy on you, but here is what some of the research is saying?

Here are 12 of the key reasons to start (or continue) reading aloud to your kids today.

1.  Build a lifelong interest in reading. “Getting kids actively involved in the process of reading, and having them interact with adults, is key to a lifelong interest in reading,” said BeAnn Younker, principal at Battle Ground Middle School in Indiana.

2.  Children whose parents read to them tend to become better readers and perform better in school, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

3.  Reading to kids helps them with language and speech development.

4.  It expands kids’ vocabulary and teaches children how to pronounce new words.

5.  Reading to toddlers prepares them for school, during which they will need to listen to what is being said to them (similar to what they do while being read to).

6.  Reading to older kids helps them understand grammar and correct sentence structure.

7.  Kids and parents can use reading time as bonding time. It’s an excellent opportunity for one-on-one communication, and it gives kids the attention they crave.

8.  Being read to builds children’s attention spans and helps them hone their listening skills.

9.  Curiosity, creativity and imagination are all developed while being read to.

10.  Being read to helps kids learn how to express themselves clearly and confidently.

11.  Kids learn appropriate behavior when they’re read to, and are exposed to new situations, making them more prepared when they encounter these situations in real life.

12.  When read to, children are able to experience the rhythm and melody of language even before they can understand the spoken or printed word.

via Reading Aloud to Kids: The 12 Benefits of Reading Books Out Loud to Children of All Ages.

So get out there and start raising a reader, it’s never too early!