Book: The Enchanted Hour by Meghan Cox Gurdon
Shortly after we moved from Colorado to Wisconsin, I began reading The Hobbit to my two eldest daughters who were ages 6 and 7 at the time. I’ll admit that it was a fairly high reading level for those ages, but the girls had no choice in the matter and were forced to listen. Soon, a most remarkable thing happened. They got into the story. They grew frightened of Orcs and cheered for the hobbits, felt the dashing and daring of the characters, and were drawn deep into the great adventure.
Since that time, there are very few nights that don’t find me reading to my children before bed. We have read blazed through Greek and Roman myths, tackled challenging books like Huckleberry Finn, and brought to life Peter Pan and Pinocchio in their original forms (not the dumbed-down Disney versions). The children have traveled to Narnia, the jungles of India, and the icy slopes of Norway all the while listening to Dad try to invent another voice for each new character.
Many years ago, I encountered some research explaining how reading significantly improves a child’s cognitive ability and verbal comprehension. However, it wasn’t until I picked up Meghan Cox Gurdon’s The Enchanted Hour: The Miraculous Power of Reading Aloud in the Age of Distraction that I began to understand how truly magical reading aloud to children is.
Gurdon bases her case for reading aloud to kids on reams of social science research. In addition to improved and early brain development, reading aloud strengthens social bonds, calms anxiety and slows the pace of life. Children who are read to develop greater vocabularies at earlier ages, are more likely to develop empathy for and trust in others, and learn greater self-control. If the research is to be believed, reading aloud to your kids may be the single greatest indicator of future educational success, topping family structure, income levels, location, and all other factors that influence a growing life.
That’s some heady stuff, but one of Gurdon’s points brings the research down to a very human level. From an early age, children who are read to associate learning and creativity with the physical care and comfort of their parents’ love. The impact of this early and continued bonding cannot be overstated. In measurable and remarkable ways, reading aloud to children is a powerful form of discipleship and communicates love in a way they can embrace and understand. Gurdon shared that she reads aloud a full hour every night. I never get close to that length of time, but my family reading times are rarely less than 15 minutes and often go as long as twenty or thirty minutes.
Another valuable point Gurdon makes is that reading aloud isn’t just for young kids. Our teens may not be as interested as elementary-aged kids, but the value remains. At the time of this writing, my eldest child is fourteen. She still listens in. One of the most recent selections I read was Ray Bradbury’s long story I Sing the Body Electric. It was magical to see them all struggle over his poetic language and to grab ahold of the story as it unfolded.
If you haven’t ever read to your kids or stopped when they were younger, consider getting back into the habit. The impact in family bonding and non-digital, non-screen time alone will be worth it. In addition to Gordon’s excellent book, I recommend a few others below to help you get started.
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