Although most third graders can read independently, the emotional benefits of reading aloud continue to be important. Reading aloud to kids 8 years (and older!) helps keep the lines of communication open between you and your child, which is so crucial to bonding–especially as your child approaches the tween years.

• Getting excited about a series is a great way to get your child hooked into reading multiple books. Getting to know characters and building story lines through several books helps kids strengthen their comprehension skills and naturally leads them to make comparisons or draw contrasts as they read.
• Reading out loud is still a great idea at this age, believe it or not. It’s fun to choose a title together to read over the summer, or at a special time on weekends.
• As your child’s independence grows, books can be great friends particularly when new challenges and transitions crop up. Seeing characters face those same issues helps kids see that they are not alone and can give them tools to use in their own lives.

Read our Guide to Learning to Read for Third Graders.