Believe me, they are not. Read aloud is probably one of the favorite times of the day for your child (and for me, too!). It is amazing to see--they are engrossed and enthralled by books that I read. They blurt out with excitement, they whine when I stop reading, and they beg for more.
They are not too young to be read to. In fact, they need to be read aloud to. They need to hear adults read books in order to hear good examples of fluency and also to see adults being readers. You are the biggest advertisement for reading. If they see you reading, they will read. You can read anything- classics, fairy tales, Dr. Seuss, picture books, chapter books, and nonfiction books. If you've already read it, read it again. In fact, there are some picture books in class that we have read a half dozen times already.
Read this article for more information about the importance of reading aloud to your child.
If you need suggestions on great read alouds, let me know. But, the best books you can read are ones that you love. If you love them and get excited about the books, so will your kids. I also try to read books that are a bit above the reading level of my students so that they are exposed to more complex plots and vocabulary than they normally would.
Finally, if you do read with your child, count it as their reading time for the night. Their 20 minutes of reading a night should not be torture and can be by themselves, being read to, or reading to someone else. Read to them- they will enjoy it a lot more than cuddling up with their ipod at night!
And, the most fascinating thing--in the picture below, make sure to look at the second section. In kindergarten 100% of kids are interested in reading books outside of school. By fourth grade, it has dropped to 54%- almost half!- all because parents have stopped reading to their kids!
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