A new and revised edition!
Bestselling children's author and internationally respected literacy expert Mem Fox reveals the incredible emotional and intellectual impact reading aloud to children has on their ability to learn to read.
With passion and humor, Fox speaks of when, where, and why to read aloud and demonstrates how to read aloud to best effect and how to get the most out of a read-aloud session. She discusses the three secrets of reading, offers guidance on defining and choosing good books, and addresses the challenges that can arise. And this new edition boasts twenty pages of fresh material, including two new chapters on boy readers and phonics, a foreword, and a list of "Twenty Books that Children Love."
Filled with practical advice, activities, and inspiring true read-aloud miracles, this book is a favorite of educators and parents and a must-have for anyone interested in how children learn to read.
—Kendal Rautzhan
—Kendal Rautzhan
"I would urge everyone to get a copy and read it. It is, quite simply, excellent.... If you''re not a dad, pass this along to one. Encourage fathers or other male role models to read to children and watch the magic happen."
— Kendal Rautzhan
"I would urge everyone to get a copy and read it. It is, quite simply, excellent.... If you''re not a dad, pass this along to one. Encourage fathers or other male role models to read to children and watch the magic happen."
— Kendal Rautzhan
"If you''re not a dad, pass this along to one. Encourage fathers or other male role models to read to children, and watch the magic happen!"
Chapter One
The Foot Book Miracle
In 1975 our daughter, Chloë, came home from school in a state of excitement and said, "I can read!" She was four years old and had been at school for two weeks. We smiled indulgently as parents do when they think their child is cute. Read? She had to be joking.
She ran to her room and came back with The Foot Book by Dr. Seuss, one of her favorites at the time, and read it to us word for word, with expression. We were beside ourselves.
But could she really read? We had read that book to her so many times, we thought she might have memorized it. We hesitated, not wanting to dampen her wild enthusiasm, then bravely opened the book at random to see if she could read a page by itself, without reciting the whole book by rote from the beginning. She read that page, and another page at random, and another.
At the time, I was a college professor teaching drama. I knew nothing about the teaching of reading. In my eyes I was "only" a mother. I rushed to Chloë’s school the next morning and told her teacher what had happened.
"What did you do?" I asked, agog. "What method did you use? It’s a miracle!"
"I didn’t do much," she said. "How could I? She’s only been in my class for two weeks. You must have read to her often before she came to school."
"Of course," I said.
"Well, there you go," said the teacher, as if that were that.
From that moment I became fascinated by the benefits of reading aloud. The seeds were sown for a change in my teaching career—out of drama into literacy. If reading aloud had had such a powerful impact on my child’s life and on her ability to learn to read, I felt I had no business keeping it a secret. I had to spread the word.
Over the last twenty-five years, I’ve learned a great deal more about how children learn to read and write and about the many other positive effects of reading aloud to children. I now travel the world, talking to parents, teachers, librarians, and booksellers, urging everyone I meet to read aloud to the children in their lives—and explaining why. I speak with the authority of an international literacy consultant and the intensity of a writer, but I’m most passionate when I speak as an ordinary mother. Reading aloud to my daughter was a fabulous experience. We bonded through all sorts of marvelous books. We came to know and love each other better through the variety of stories we shared. I hadn’t realized that reading aloud regularly would mean Chloë would learn to read without being taught.
It was enough just to be together.
Text copyright © Mem Fox 2008, 2001
Illustrations copyright © Judy Horacek 2001
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Requests for permission to make copies of any part of the work should be submitted online at www.harcourt.com/contact or mailed to the following address: Permissions Department, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 6277 Sea Harbor Drive, Orlando, Florida 32887-6777.
Contents
Foreword xi
Chapter OneThe Foot Book Miracle 1
Chapter TwoThe Magic in Action 5
Chapter ThreeBirth, Brains, and Beyond 13
Chapter FourThe Power 25
Chapter FiveKeep It Regular 31
Chapter SixAnd Do It Like This 39
Chapter SevenGetting the Most Out of It 53
Chapter EightThe Proof 75
Chapter NineThe First Secret of Reading:The Magic of Print 79
Chapter TenThe Second Secret of Reading:The Magic of Language 87
Chapter ElevenThe Third Secret of Reading:The Magic of General Knowledge 103
Chapter TwelveWhat Happens When the Three Secretsof Reading Come Together? 109
Chapter Thirteen"Book! Book! Book!" 125
Chapter FourteenTelevision: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly 143
Chapter FifteenTroubleshooting 149
Chapter SixteenPhokissing on Fonix 157
Chapter SeventeenBoys and Reading 173
Twenty Books That Children Love 191
Acknowledgments 193
Anonymous
Posted July 16, 2008
Mem Fox Knows Her Stuff! Her children's books including Whoever You Are, Koala Lou and Tough Boris are memorable and lovable, but in Reading Magic Mem speaks to parents or adults who are around children age 0-7. Mem's main goal is to encourage adults to read aloud to young children as it is enjoyable and has life-long positive results on the child being read to. She advises that it's never too early to read to your child 'or baby'! The book describes how to go about reading aloud to children, secrets of reading, television vs. reading, a little on phonics and includes a book list of read-aloud's for young ones. Reading Magic is an easy read and is void of educational jargon and acronyms. I've already recommended this book to an expecting family member and my dentist with a newborn!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted July 16, 2008
Mem Fox has done a wonderful job of helping the reader understand the importance of reading aloud. She describes the act of reading aloud to children as one of the best ways to help children with their academic reading success later in life. She makes a good point for how reading aloud can foster good relationships with families and caregivers. Fox gives the reader insight into how to make the read aloud a wonderful time to share with children. She also gives ways to enhance family relationships through reading, and easy ways to supplement reading at school. She has many good ideas about literature and which books are the best to use in a read-aloud. The two new chapters in the revised edition are helpful to parents and teachers alike. Fox gives her opinion on some education issues that are thought-provoking and insightful. I would recommend reading this book if you are a first-time parent, or a parent looking for ways to help your student in school. It was an enjoyable book as an educator and helped me focus on some areas in my classroom that need help. This is an easy read, written with humor and funny illustrations. I highly recommend this book for anyone and everyone who has any contact with young learners.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted July 16, 2008
In Mem Fox¿s book, Reading Magic: Why Reading Aloud to Our Children Will Change Their Lives Forever, Fox outlines why reading aloud to kids positively impacts many important aspects of their lives. This book will inspire teachers and parents to adopt read aloud as a daily routine. Fox provides anecdotes that support why reading aloud is perhaps the most important step an adult mentor can make to support a child¿s success in school and in a pursuit of lifelong learning. As an avid reader and passionate literacy educator, I was deeply moved as to the many reasons Fox gives as to why adults should read to children. Chapters of special interest to me were Birth, Brains and Beyond and Boys and Reading. Each of these chapters shaped my new thinking as to the importance of reading aloud to our children from infancy through later childhood years. Fox¿s stories and humor make the book an easy and fun read. I would recommend this book to all teachers, parents, and soon to be parents. You current ideas about read aloud will be transformed!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted May 13, 2005
I just wanted to say that I found this an amazing book, full of anecdotes and stories, not to mention tips and proof of the importance of reading to children. I actually used this book as a resource for my Senior Project, and have found it both useful and informative. I especially enjoyed hearing her views on the importance of fairy tales and the like. All in all, I definitely suggest this book to anyone wondering if it's really worth the time it takes to read to your children.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted January 25, 2013
This is a wonderful book and every parent or soon to be parent should read it!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted July 16, 2008
I felt that the book was an easy read and it wasn't loaded with research data left and right. As an educator, I felt that this book confirmed what I already believed. This book is powerful for parents to read and to understand the impact read aloud time has on their child¿s future. Not only does it emphasize the importance of read aloud, but it discusses key tools and activities to do with the child to engage them and teach them so much before they enter school.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted June 14, 2007
This book just clarified some excellent points of reading aloud to children since birth. Well written and easy to follow, I couldn't put it down.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted May 12, 2011
No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous
Posted May 15, 2010
No text was provided for this review.
Overview
A new and revised edition!
Bestselling children's author and internationally respected literacy expert Mem Fox reveals the incredible emotional and intellectual impact reading aloud to children has on their ability to learn to read.
With passion and humor, Fox speaks of when, where, and why to read aloud and demonstrates how to read aloud to...