My dad recently got to visit my nieces out of state. It warms my heart to see him reading aloud to them!

Sarah Mackenzie recently did a podcast episode that captures my thinking of how and why reading aloud is so magical. It features an interview with the author of the book below, Meghan Cox Gurdon. Listen here. She answers a question from a podcast listener about how to read aloud in the busy summer months at the beginning of the episode. 

Reading aloud really is such a simple act that brings back the most rewards of anything you can do as a parent. It’s also fun! Meghan’s book pictured below looks so amazing! Deliberately choosing to read aloud in this age of distraction is definitely an obstinate act of love! Here is what Meghan writes at the beginning of the book:

Imagine an elixir so strong that a daily dose makes your family smarter, happier, healthier, more successful, and more closely attached.  Now imagine that you can have it without spending a dime. 

It all starts with a story, a voice, and a place to sit . . .

Guess what? You can listen to this book in audio format for free using the Scribd app on your phone! Sign up for scribd here for a free two months trial!  Then refer your friends and you will get a free month for every person who signs up from your recommendation. I have an Audible membership too, but so far I’ve been able to find more in Scribd than in Audible. Not only does Scribd have audiobooks, but books in text format, summaries of books, and sheet music! I hope you sign up here and enjoy it too!

This video below shows just how important it is to put down our phones and connect with our children. Reading aloud is one of the most fun and easiest ways to connect with them. So go ahead and defy those digital distractions! Pick up a book and read aloud to your children and talk about what you are reading. I’ve blogged about what I’m reading now to my kids and what I’ve read aloud for the past months of 2019 here.