Skip to the content
Peabody ParentsTalk, play, read and grow, from day one

School years › Reading at home

Reading aloud by age: what to read and what to ask

Reading aloud is worth doing long after a child can read alone. Read books a little above their own reading level, so they hear words and stories they can't yet read. Below: what to read and what to ask at each age, from preschool to middle school.

Why keep reading aloud

A child's listening level runs ahead of their reading level for years. A seven-year-old reading short decodable books can follow a chapter book read aloud. Reading aloud fills that gap: new words, longer sentences, and stories worth wanting to read alone one day.

It is also time together with no screens and no test. Many families keep a read-aloud going long after their children read on their own.

Ages 3 to 5 (preschool and kindergarten)

  • What to read: picture books with rhythm and repetition, simple folk tales, counting and alphabet books, and short nonfiction about animals and how things work.
  • How long: one or two short books, about 10 to 15 minutes, and often the same book again.
  • What to ask: "What do you think happens next?" "Where's the...?" "How do you think she feels?" Point to words now and then, and run a finger under the title.
  • Try: The Little Red Hen, The Gingerbread Man, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Frog on a Log.

Ages 5 to 7 (kindergarten to 2nd grade)

Ages 7 to 9 (2nd to 4th grade)

  • What to read: chapter books and classic stories a little beyond what your child reads alone, funny books, and nonfiction on whatever they're curious about.
  • How long: a chapter a night, 15 to 25 minutes.
  • What to ask: "What would you have done?" "What clues told you that?" "Which character changed the most?" Let your child predict, and come back to the prediction later.
  • Try: Stone Soup, The Velveteen Rabbit, Why Do We Have Seasons?, Penguins Up Close.

Ages 9 to 12 (4th to 7th grade)

  • What to read: novels with more complex plots, adventure and mystery, history and science told as stories, poems, and the occasional article from the news.
  • How long: 20 to 30 minutes, or take turns reading pages.
  • What to ask: "What's the author trying to say?" "Do you trust this narrator?" "How is this like something that happened to you?" Disagree about a character, kindly; it's good practice in arguing with evidence.
  • Try: The Secret Garden, The Great Fire of London, Trouble on Apollo 13.

Twelve and up

Older children rarely ask to be read to, but many still enjoy it: a book you both read, a family audiobook on a car trip, an article read over dinner. Talking about what each of you is reading keeps the habit alive even when the reading is done alone.

Reading aloud well

  • Let your child choose some of the books, even ones you'd never pick.
  • Read a little slower than feels natural, and pause at the exciting parts.
  • Use voices if you like; expression helps more than accents.
  • Stop at a cliffhanger, so tomorrow's reading is something to look forward to.
  • Keep questions light: one or two, then back to the story. It's not a quiz.

Questions parents ask

Should my child read to me or should I read to them?

Both, and they do different jobs. Your child reading to you is practice at their level (try the ten-minute routine); you reading to them is above their level, for words and stories.

Do audiobooks count?

Listening to a good story builds vocabulary and love of books, so yes, they're a fine part of the mix. Reading together adds the talking, which is where much of the learning happens.

Practice at your child's level

Peabody, our site for children, has free stories and learning games written at each reading level and math grade, with no sign-up. Start where your child is comfortable, not where the calendar says.

Written for parents, to use alongside your child's teacher, not instead of them. General information only, not professional, medical or legal advice. Something wrong or out of date? Write to hello@peabody.kids.