In her heartfelt first book, Gurdon, children’s book reviewer for the Wall Street Journal, makes an earnest, but unfortunately repetitive, case for reading aloud. The post The Enchanted Hour by Meghan Cox Gurdon appeared first on Redeemed Reader.How reading aloud confers cognitive, emotional, and social benefits. Of course, we’re friends with Sarah MacKenzie–see our review of The Read-Aloud Family.

See our interview with Meghan Cox Gurdon on “dark” subjects in YA. Worldview/moral value: 4.5Artistic value: 5At Redeemed Reader, we don’t need convincing! See Reading Aloud to Teens, Part 1 and Part 2. Includes eleven pages of book suggestions! Library should have-if yours doesn’t, make a request that they purchase Once you’ve developed the habit, why stop? Title X schools, family shelters, and seniorĬenters would welcome a reader of good books.Īs an older mom whose kids are long gone and whose grandchildren liveįar away, I especially appreciated her ideas about reading to seniors andĪt this age a good book can unlock memories and open a door to meaningful conversation. Themselves-even after they’ve left the nest. Overselling, but she backs up her claims with numerous personal examples,Īlso builds a solid case for keeping on after the children are able to read for But it can also build family ties, foster healthful routines, open avenues of communication, strengthen bonds with a parent who’s away (examples of deployed parents reading to their kids via Skype are especially moving), and expand horizons. Reading aloud is foundational for little ones-tops for vocabulary building, cognitive development, and imaginative play. Nothing, repeat, nothing can replace the sound of a loved one’s voice, not even a perfectly-produced audio book (though audio books do have their place). These days we have a cornucopia of good children’s literature pouring out of the local library, but now the tyranny of screens threatens to suck up all our family relational time. Starting with the art of narration in the ancient world, Meghan Cox Gurdon traces a brief history of oral storytelling through the ages. The Enchanted Hour goes beyond those basic virtues to make a case for reading aloud to all ages, from the nursery to the nursing home. Study after study has shown that there’s nothing like curling up with a kid and a book for improving language skills, literary appreciation, and simple cuddle time. Harper, 2019, 261 pagesĭoes anyone need convincing that it’s important to read aloud to toddlers and preschoolers-even babies? The concensus is pretty clear on that one, even among parents who don’t do it. Of Reading Aloud in the Age of Distraction by Meghan Cox Gurdon. In The Enchanted Hour, Meghan Cox Gurdon makes the intellectual, social, and emotional case for reading aloud, at any age, to any age.