Did you know that today is World Read Aloud day? It is a day that is dedicated to celebrating literacy as a fundamental human right. On this day, people around the globe celebrate by coming together to read aloud and share stories, whether that is in the home, the classroom, or out in the community.

I started reading aloud to Ryan when he was a newborn. Goodnight, Moon, How Much Do I Love You?, and Is Your Mama A Llama? were just some of our favorites. This practice continued through his preschool years… until he began reading aloud to me!

Here are some reasons why reading aloud is so beneficial and important:

• Reading aloud to children every day puts them almost a year ahead of children who are not read to
• 750 million adults around the world lack basic reading and writing skills
• Nearly 85% of the juveniles who face trial in the juvenile court system are functionally illiterate, illustrating the close relationship between illiteracy and crime. More than 60% of all inmates are functionally illiterate.
• Low literacy rates cost $74 million annually in direct health care costs
• 1 in 4 children in America grow up without learning how to read

Literacy is a skill that you can acquire at any age. One of our students in our Adult Basic Education program is 75 years old  – and he just learned to read!

At the Elizabeth Lee Black School, we are celebrating World Read Aloud day in a number of ways, including having parents join their Early Education students to collectively read a story in the gym; having our adult students read to some of our middle schoolers; and our high school aged students reading to individuals at our Senior Center.

How will you “Read Aloud” today?