For everyone, reading aloud engages the mind in complex narratives for children, it’s an irreplaceable gift that builds vocabulary, fosters imagination, and kindles a lifelong appreciation of language, stories and pictures.īringing together the latest scientific research, practical tips, and reading recommendations, The Enchanted Hour will both charm and galvanize, inspiring readers to share this invaluable, life-altering tradition with the people they love most. Meghan Cox Gurdon is an internationally-known childrens book critic and the author of The Enchanted Hour: The Miraculous Power of Reading Aloud in the Age of. Meghan Cox Gurdon argues that this ancient practice is a fast-working antidote to the fractured attention spans, atomized families and unfulfilling ephemera of the tech era, helping to replenish what our devices are leaching away. Grounded in the latest neuroscience and behavioural research, and drawing widely from literature, The Enchanted Hour explains the dazzling cognitive and social-emotional benefits that await children who are read to, whatever their class, nationality or family background. T he time we spend reading aloud is like no other time, Meghan Cox Gurdon writes in her new book, The Enchanted Hour: The Miraculous Power of Reading Aloud in the Age of Distraction. ‘As soon as I began to read, I was filled with that kind of engrossed blossoming that happens somewhere inside of you when you start a really nourishing book.’ – Pandora SykesĪ conversation-changing look at the social, familial, neurological, and psychological benefits of reading aloud, especially for parents and children.Ī miraculous alchemy occurs when one person reads to another, transforming the simple stuff of a book, a voice, and a bit of time into complex and powerful fuel for the heart, brain, and imagination. Gurdon’s 2019 book The Enchanted Hour: The Miraculous Power of Reading Aloud in the Age of Distraction presents compelling evidence for the emotional, cognitive, and social benefits of oral storytelling. Meghan Cox Gurdon argues that this ancient practice is a fast-working antidote to the fractured attention spans, atomized families and unfulfilling ephemera of.

Meghan cox gurdon the enchanted hour