The Power of Reading Aloud Series (1 of 4): Why Reading Aloud Matters

This post is part of our 4-part series on storytelling with nonverbal learners: Why Reading Aloud Matters, Making Story Time Interactive, Choosing the Right Books, and Extending the Story Beyond the Book.

Reading aloud is more than just a cozy tradition; it is a powerful way to support learning, especially for students who do not yet read on their own or who communicate nonverbally. Hearing stories exposes our students to rich vocabulary and sentence structures that they might not hear in everyday conversation. This kind of language input helps strengthen comprehension and listening skills, giving them more opportunities to connect words with meaning. Research has shown that shared reading can improve story understanding and vocabulary growth, even when a child is not actively speaking.

For nonverbal or minimally verbal learners, reading aloud becomes a gentle doorway into language. Stories provide models of grammar, phrasing, and sequencing that can be absorbed just by listening. Even when a student does not decode text independently, they are building foundational literacy skills such as vocabulary, print awareness, and narrative understanding simply by being part of the read-aloud experience. Pairing stories with simple supports, such as pointing to pictures or modeling AAC phrases, turns each book into a scaffolded opportunity for learning.

I’ve had to learn over time how to figure this out with my daughter. For a long while, she would reject me whenever I tried reading aloud to her. She liked it as a toddler, but from about age five to nine, she made it clear she didn’t enjoy it anymore. Was I talking too loudly? Too animated, and therefore a little overwhelming? Or maybe it was because I was trying too hard to “sit down and read together.”

It was a bummer because we’ve collected so many children’s books for her over the years, and both her father and I were avid readers growing up, so it was hard to understand. But then I began to read aloud while standing up, walking around, and not demanding that her full attention be on me. Slowly, we started getting through more books.

Our biggest breakthrough came when she began using an AAC device around age nine. She became really interested in spelling words and hearing them play back, and it snowballed from there. She started looking at the words in the books I read, and I feel that it began to make more sense to her this way. (She’s also very enamored with subtitles on her shows.)

That doesn’t mean I’ve stopped reading while walking around. If anything, I do it even more now, especially when we read age-appropriate material rather than her younger books, which are easier for her. I’ll touch on this subject again in Part Three, Choosing the Right Books.

So Where Do You Start?

If you’re feeling frustrated because your student doesn’t seem interested in reading or has a hard time engaging, take a breath and start fresh. The goal isn’t perfection — it’s connection. Here are three small ways to reset your approach and invite your child back into story time:

1. Release expectations. Your student doesn’t need to sit still, make eye contact, or “look” like they’re reading with you. Listening while moving, playing, or stimming still counts as being part of the story.

2. Experiment with your delivery. Try reading aloud in different ways and notice what gets a positive reaction. Some students prefer quiet, steady tones; others light up when you’re expressive and animated. Find that middle ground that feels comfortable for both of you.

3. Take tiny steps. Start with just one or two pages a day until your child begins to enjoy it more. Build slowly from there — interest and comfort grow over time.

Coming soon:
Next in our series, we’ll explore ways to make story time interactive so every learner can join in.

Sources & References

1. ASCD — The Hidden Power of Read-Alouds
   https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/the-hidden-power-of-read-alouds
   
   
2. PMC — Shared Book Reading Interventions With Children With Language Impairments
   https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3319370
   
   
3. ScienceDirect — Effects of Nonverbal Supports During Shared Book Reading on Word Learning in Children With Developmental Language Disorder
   https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0885200623000479
   
   
4. Digital Commons (West Chester University) — Impact of Read-Alouds on Literacy Development
   https://digitalcommons.wcupa.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1296&context=all_doctoral 

Jennifer Bullock, Contributing Author

Homeschooling-experienced mom to a tween, non-speaking daughter, Jennifer is also Marketing Outreach Coordinator for The Autism Oasis. With 20+ years experience in marketing, advertising, and social media communications, you will see her occasionally supporting the blog and social media channels with various content related to Autism Oasis.