The commission spent two years poring through thousands of research projects conducted in the previous quarter century, and in 1985 issued its report, Becoming a Nation of Readers. Among its primary findings, two simple declarations rang loud and clear: “The single most important activity for building the knowledge required for eventual success in reading is reading aloud to children.”14 “It is a practice that should continue throughout the grades.”15 The commission found conclusive evidence to support reading aloud not only in the home but also in the classroom.
