World Read Aloud Day
February 4th, 2026
February 4th, 2026
Celebrate World Read Aloud Day with us!
World Read Aloud Day was created in NYC by a little boy and Pam Allyn as they were reading aloud together. Now, WRAD is celebrated on the first Wednesday of every February and has reached many millions of people.
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WHY THE READ ALOUD MATTERS
Reading aloud is a key that unlocks a lifetime of connection, happiness, and success for children. Research shows reading aloud builds powerful neural pathways that contribute to both emotional wellbeing and academic success. When a child is read to, they are transported to a world of possibility, joy, and magic, and learn to form deep connections to themselves and the people around them. By celebrating the read aloud, we celebrate and share all that it is to be human.
THE MOST HUMAN BEST PRACTICE
WRAD shows the world that even with all the technology there is and all the things we learn about how to teach reading, at the end of the day, the very best way to help a child learn literacy skills and be at home in the world all at the same time is the glorious power of the read aloud. A book, a reader, and a listener. These three elements combine to create a life force that marinates a child in language, vocabulary, ideas, knowledge and love.
HOW WRAD MAKES A DIFFERENCE
Scholastic research has shown that since WRAD launched, more parents and caregivers began to read aloud to their children. All across the world, teachers, parents and caregivers experience what a read aloud can do in one day and take that knowledge back with them to classrooms and the home. WRAD shows the human power of literacy, the ultimate connector of a book, a listener and a reader, and the ways reading aloud builds connection, language, and knowledge.
How WRAD Reached the World in 2025
