This study explores children’s experiences, story comprehension, and appreciation of moral values through a Read Aloud activity conducted as part of the Read Aloud Programme at Kota Baca. The study addresses the relatively limited attention given to older children aged 9–14 years in community-based Read Aloud research, particularly in relation to story comprehension and appreciation of moral values. A descriptive qualitative research design was employed involving 10 children aged 9 to 14 years who participated in the programme at Dataran Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur. Data were collected through participants’ open-ended written responses, facilitator observations, and researcher reflective notes. The Read Aloud session incorporated pre-reading, during-reading, and post-reading activities involving book introduction, expressive reading, questioning, prediction, vocabulary explanation, discussion, and reflection. Data were analysed thematically based on Braun and Clarke’s (2006) approach. Five themes emerged: interest and engagement in Read Aloud activities, literal story comprehension, inferential story comprehension, appreciation of moral values, and reflection on the reading experience. The findings indicate that participants responded positively to the reading activity and demonstrated engagement through attention, responses to questions, and participation in discussion. Participants also demonstrated literal and inferential understanding of the story, including the ability to identify characters, recall storyline elements, and interpret broader messages concerning helping others, friendship, and positive behaviour. Helping others emerged as the most prominent moral value, followed by friendship, affection, and caring. The findings can be interpreted through Vygotsky’s Social Constructivism Theory, particularly the role of social interaction and scaffolding in supporting meaning-making during interactive reading. Overall, the study provides context-specific qualitative insight into how children aged 9–14 years engage with stories, construct meaning, and appreciate moral values through Read Aloud in a community literacy setting.
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