Storytime is central to the bedtime routine in our house. Well, so is chaos, but eventually we get around to PJs and toothbrushes and, finally, books. We’ve been reading nightly to our kids since they caught a regular bedtime. Often when kids learn to read to themselves, parents shift away from reading together. It’s understandable — we want to encourage independent reading. Our 5-year-old doesn’t start kindergarten for two more weeks and she already reads very well. Scary well. But she still loves to have us read to her. And we love to oblige. Shared storytime doesn’t have to end in grade school. When you read to older kids, a brand-new world of benefits opens up, according to experts like longtime teacher and teaching instructor Mary Rose of Orange County, Fla. Here … Read entire article »