Reading out loud to kids is an important way to build a love of books that lasts a lifetime. YouTube has dozens of channels to hear a story read aloud, but some are better than others. Fortunately, we’ve done the legwork for you and found the best places to watch and listen to children’s literature read aloud.
What To Look for in YouTube Read-Alouds
A quick search on YouTube turns up an enormous selection of stories read aloud online for free. And while any time spent reading has value, we feel that quality videos should provide the same educational experience that in-person reading does. That helps kids develop print-awareness skills like knowing the parts of a book (front cover, back cover, spine, pages, etc.) and print conventions like reading from left to right and top to bottom.
Here’s what we looked for when choosing the best children’s literature read-aloud channels on YouTube:
- Good sound quality and an emphasis on the book’s text, with no distracting music or unnecessary sound effects during the story
- A focus on the book itself, by showing the cover and the text on each page as it’s read
- Mention of the title, author, and illustrator of the book (with correct pronunciation)
- Demonstration of print convention, by showing pages turn or highlighting the text as it’s read
- Fluent and engaging reading demonstrations, at a pace that allows children to absorb the text and look at the illustrations
With that in mind, here are the read-aloud YouTube channels we love. These picks meet all or most of our criteria, with plenty of stories read aloud for kids to enjoy. (As always, please preview any video to ensure the content is appropriate for your audience.)
The Best YouTube Channels for Children’s Literature Read-Alouds
More YouTube Channels for Children’s Literature Read Aloud
These channels don’t meet as many of our criteria for mimicking the in-person experience, but they still offer great opportunities for kids to hear read-aloud children’s stories.