Reading aloud to a younger child or a pet is great practice for students to develop fluent reading and speaking skills. Hearing their own voice will enable them to better self-correct. While reading to an adult who can provide constructive feedback is optimal to ensure incorrect patterns are not developing, some children might be reluctant to read to an adult because they do not want to be corrected or feel shy. Extensive research shows that repeated oral reading leads to meaningful improvements in reading expertise for students.