Driving to work this morning, I was lucky enough to catch this piece on NPR about holiday reading.  While the holiday theme is great, I particularly loved the part about how important reading aloud is for children of all ages.  Here is the quote that had me cheering aloud:

But some parents feel self-conscious when they read aloud, says Judy Freeman, the author of a guide to read-aloud books called Books Kids Will Sit Still For. Freeman says they should get over their inhibitions.

"Your kids don’t know the difference. They just want to be warm, and they want to hear your voice, and they associate the words with you," she says. "It turns them into readers. If you want your kids to read, you have to read to them."

Yes! In fact at the end of the piece the father in the family reads aloud a bit from Twas the Night Before Christmas and in that moment evokes the warmth and holiday magic of families reading together. 

The NPR website also has a list of great holiday books to share aloud with your children.