Why Reading Aloud Works
Well hello there, and welcome to update #162!
These are some highlights from The Enchanted Hour: The miraculous power of reading aloud in the age of distraction by Meghan Cox Gurdon
Let’s walk through what happens when we read aloud to students—of any age.
1. It builds stronger brains.
Integrates multiple regions at once: vision, language, emotion, and imagination.
Reinforces cognitive pathways that help students think more clearly, retain more, and imagine more deeply.
Known as “The Goldilocks Effect”—screens are overstimulating, audio under-stimulating… reading aloud is just right.
2. It accelerates vocabulary.
A child read to regularly hears over 200,000 more words annually than peers.
Books expose students to words they’ll never encounter in everyday conversation.
Vocabulary in early years predicts long-term academic outcomes—not just in English, but across the curriculum.
3. It improves attention and focus.
When students are read to, they show stronger focus, persistence, and self-regulation.
These traits correlate with success in other subjects
4. It’s an emotional regulator.
Reading aloud releases neurochemicals like oxytocin and dopamine.
Calms the nervous system.
Builds empathy and trust—between teacher and student, and among peers.
We’ve drawn on this and other research to develop literacy resources for use across the curriculum: The Teachers’ Collection for primary and KS3 The Ambitious Years for secondary.
Until next time
Mary
I couldn't agree more. I think it's a big shame we move away from the power of reading aloud as children get older in the primary phase.
I certainly still enjoy being read to and my mum actually still read to me sometimes up until I was around 14!
We read aloud to our students, including during our Reading for Pleasure lessons. I hope it evokes something of the feeling of enjoying reading with those that care about you; one of the greatest joys of sharing books with others.