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Reading out loud to the kids can sometimes be a mixed bag for me. The time that we spend cuddled up together reading is so very wonderful. But there are times when drowsiness settles in and a certain mom has been known to fall asleep while reading out loud.
Go ahead, you can laugh. The kids do!
There are so many books that make fabulous read-alouds. This year we’re hoping to try a little something different. While we have a pile of books that we are going to read together as a family, there are two separate piles for additional reading: one for the girls and one for the boys.
Our typical family read-together time is either during our lunch break or in the evening after dinner. In addition to those reading times, we are going to rotate reading for the girls one night at bedtime and then the boys the next night.
Will this be all on our list? Well, a lot of that depends on if we are able to finish all of these. On the off chance that one of the books is a ‘flop’ when reading, we have a few spares in the background that we can pull out, but for now – this is what we have that is non-school related reading.
Ready for a peek at our piles?
Books to Read with our Girls {ages 10 and 12}
Books to Read with our Boys {ages 6 and 8}
- The Matchlock Gun
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Henry and Ribsy (not pictured)
Books to Read Together
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Mystery of the Silver Coins {not pictured}
Read Aloud Tips
Here are a few tips for reading with kids {especially little ones}.
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Let kids do something with their hands. We frequently have crayons and paper handy for drawing or Legos for the kids to build with. Having something to do with their hands helps the attention span – trust me!
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Be silly and spice your reading up. Kick that monotone voice to the curb and sprinkle in some fun voices and accents. Read in a hushed voice during parts that are building in intensity. Have fun and enjoy the book along with your kids!
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Mix fun in with the serious. While I can’t wait to delve into some of the classics with the kids {and we’ll hit on a few different books during our school time this year}, fun reading is good too! Last year we ALL got wrapped up in the Gregor series and also the first book of the Benedict Society. Not classic literature, but it was still so much fun to read together!
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Set a timer. Occassionally we have a kiddo that really doesn’t want to sit down for a story. Setting a timer for 10 or 15 minutes makes it seem do-able and most of the time everyone gets so involved in the book that they want to keep reading!
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Set aside a specific time of day to read together. Kids know when to expect the time that you’ll be reading and it will become a part of your daily routine. Whether it be a meal time, bed time, or another time during the day, block off that time to be together!
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Talk about the book together! When you come to the end of a chapter (or a suspenseful part of the book), ask your children what they think will happen next. Explain parts of the story that they may not understand (i.e. words or phrases).
What is your best tip for making reading out loud something fun? Leave a comment and chime in with your tips today!
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I like to copy a picture from whatever book we’re reading (currently Charlotte’s Web, sometimes blowing up the size, and let the kids color with colored pencils while they listen. The colored pencils keep the coloring more slow and precise and gives them something to hold them still and focused while they listen.
Great idea! My kiddos are younger, so we do lots of coloring pages, but blowing up the size is a great idea!
I agree – never even *thought* to blow them up {doh!}. :)
I love your book lists – we’ve enjoyed many of those (and plan to read some of the others!) Coloring and handcrafts are our go-to ways to keep little hands occupied. Last year dd learned to finger knit so she did that while I read aloud.
Ooo…finger knitting is a great idea!! :) I’ll mention that to our girls!
Just curious, when do you read aloud? After lunch? Before bed? Specifically 10 AM? I’m sure there are many times and they vary. I’m just curious. We’re of course still getting started and read on demand, but as we get to longer chapter books for our read alouds I’m curious about a general suggestion of what works in one family…
There are some days that we read at lunch, otherwise our time is typically after dinner. We have also been reading to the girls or boys at bedtime for just a bit from the pile that is specifically for them. :) I definitely recommend finding a consistent time and getting into a fun routine that way with it. That way the kids know to expect it – and it’s easier for you to remember too! :)
Hmm, I have that disorder too…. ;0) My kids find it quite annoying, while I think it’s funny :D
Great list of books, I was looking to add more so I can intentionally plan and not fly by the seat of my pants :D
Fly by the seat of our pants has been the last few years with reading. Having the list and piles in their rooms to visually see is helping me out as well {and the kiddos}. :) So far, so good!
Oh, and can I just say we LOVE the Benedict Society! We listened to a lot of them on audio book, they’re phenom!
We read the first one last year – took us a little bit to get into, but we were ALL hooked! So glad I picked them up at a used book sale!
Thank you for posting your reading stacks! I just reserved all the titles I can get my hands on drom our local library! I appreciate you! Sincerely- fellow homeschooler in Gulf Breeze FL.
What great selections! We love the Mouse and Motorcycle here. Spicing up reading makes it fun for everyone.
I am reading “To Kill a Mockingbird” to my boys (8 and 11) right now. Their dad reads the Gregor series to them. We alternate at night.
Mockingbird may seem a little over their heads, but we have had some great discussions so far. we live in the deep south and so many of the issues are very relevant to us – we talk a lot about history, how their granddad grew up, Jem becoming a man, how we treat those who are different from us and other issues. Plus, Harper Lee uses lots of big words which I think is GREAT for them to hear. We have been reading to them before bed their entire lives and don’t plan to quit anytime soon!
Jolanthe, (or anyone who has an answer)
Do you have a resource to recommend for screening books for content? I pre-read for my oldest, but that eats into time I could be enjoying books WITH them. Focus on the Family has a book review section on their site with some books listed. Does anyone know of a more comprehensive list that might give tired mamas more info about content they may want to skip?
These titles look GREAT! Thanks for sharing them!
One book that I’ve had recommended to me {and it’s on the way from Amazon} is Honey for a Child’s Heart. Another great book resource is Read for Their Heart {I think} by Sarah Clarkson. :)
Do your kids also do some alone-time reading? There are several books on your list that I can’t imagine wanting to put down – how do they stand it!!! Of course, I was that book nerd as a kid… :)
They do – the older three have books that they are assigned for school reading {between 1-2 chapters a day}, and they also read their own books just for fun. The rule is, I am the one that chooses their assigned reading {grins}. Sometimes their assigned reading ends up being something they really love and then they can’t stop. An example of this is the Raiders from the Sea series that McKenna was assigned {the first book} and I ended up buying the rest of the series for her to read. Now we’re all reading that together as a family too! https://www.homeschoolcreations.net/2013/09/raiders-from-the-sea/
Does that help answer your question? I was a book nerd too – and hope my kids are the same!!
A lot of my favorite books are on this list! :) For another Christian Holocaust memoir similar to The Hiding Place, our family loves Things We Couldn’t Say by Diet Eman! If you love The Hiding Place, I bet you’ll love that one.
Thanks for the suggestion, Samantha. :)
Years go.. I had an in home day care and my older children would read stories out loud and we would record them and play it back for the younger children. The older children really had fun with this, reading in character. It also taught the older children about working together. I have not thought of that in years. Thank you
That sounds like so much fun!! :) Thanks for sharing that memory!