Reading aloud together

How do I do read-alouds at home, and what if my child won't sit and listen?

Read for a short time most days, let wiggly children keep their hands busy while they listen, and stop before attention runs out. A child does not have to sit still to be listening, and ten good minutes beat forty restless ones.

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For a child who will not sit

Let them draw, build, do a puzzle or play with dough while you read. Start with picture books or short chapters, and build up. Ask one question at the end, not ten during.

Mixed ages

Good picture books work for everyone, and older children can read a page aloud too. Pick chapter books above the youngest child's reading level, because listening level runs ahead of reading level.

Make it a habit

Same time each day, after lunch or at bedtime. Audiobooks in the car count. Let children choose some of the books, and reread favorites as often as they ask.

What Clareza does not do here

  • Clareza does not supply books or a read-aloud list. Your library is the best source.
  • Its Reading support reads lessons aloud, which helps with schoolwork but is not a read-aloud of a book.
  • Read-alouds are yours, and they matter more at this age than any app.

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Before your child starts: what we collect and why

We collect only what it takes to teach your child: the first name and sign-in you choose, their answers and progress, and their chat with Clara (written by Anthropic's AI, read aloud by OpenAI). Nobody trains AI on it or sells it, and you can see or delete it any time. You create your child's account yourself. Paying by card is how you give consent.

Read what we collect and why

Your consent is needed before we collect anything from your child, and we collect nothing without it. You create your child's account yourself; they never sign up alone.

  • What we collect from your child: the first name and sign-in you choose, their answers, time on lessons and progress, and their chat with Clara. Used to run the lessons, build their transcript and show you how they are doing.
  • Who else handles it: Anthropic (an AI company) receives the chat text and the lesson, with your child's first name but no last name or account details, to write Clara's replies. That is how Clara works, so it is part of the service. If you switch on answering out loud for a child, their voice is turned into text on our own server and then discarded; it is never sent to another company. OpenAI turns lesson text and Clara's replies (which can include your child's first name) into the read-aloud voice. Our email provider sends you reports about your child. Nobody trains AI on your child's data, and nobody sells it.
  • Your rights: see everything collected from your child, have it deleted, or stop further collection at any time, from your account or by emailingour support address. If you refuse the AI sharing above, Clara cannot teach, so the service cannot run. Chats are deleted after 30 days.
  • Safety: if your child writes something suggesting they may be hurt or in danger, we email you and Clareza's owner the same day.

Paying by card is how you give consent. Full details, including how long we keep each thing: Privacy Policy (version 2026-10-05).

By continuing you agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy.

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Questions parents ask

How long should a read-aloud be?

As long as they stay with you. Ten to twenty minutes is plenty for most young children.

Do audiobooks count as read-alouds?

Yes. Hearing good books is the point. Talking about them afterward is a bonus.

Is it OK if my child plays while I read?

Yes. Quiet busy hands often help a child listen better.

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