macmacmoo Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 Trying to revamp our read aloud time, so I'm curious to know what you do during your read aloud time. What do you permit the kids to do while you read? What is not allowed? What do you do if they start acting up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slache Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 Mine are 2 and 4 so we only read aloud for about 30 minutes twice a day if it's a good day. They aren't allowed to leave the room, make noise or touch each other. Anything else goes. The have Apple Letters, blocks, cuisionare rods, and various other things they do while I read. If it's a good picture book they sit in my lap and look at the pictures. If they act up we're done and they don't like being done so they're usually very good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 So long as they're not being disruptive to others, they can do what they like if I'm reading aloud. If they're acting up, they probably don't enjoy the selection and I should pick a different one. How old are your darlings? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reign Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 No talking. No touching each other. If you sit in my lap you must be still. No wandering around. Pick an area and stay there. Mainly they sit on the couch with me for picture books. I read a chapter book during the day usually at a meal time. They get a chapter At bedtime when they are in bed. SOTW gets read when they are coloring or drawing. We listen to a lot of audio books. The moving rule is dropped for those. I just can't concentrate when people are walking around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RKWAcademy Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 No reading over my shoulder out loud. No talking (and no fighting). No loud toys if they are playing instead of sitting with me. Mostly, they sit with me in a big chair. They are generally very good because like a PP, I stop reading if they act up. When they listen to audio books, they can make more noise and play because I'm not in there. DS usually plays Legos, and DD usually does gymnastics, draws, or plays with DS during an audio book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macmacmoo Posted May 25, 2015 Author Share Posted May 25, 2015 My kiddos are 7, 4, and 1. They play quietly but lately towards the end they start playing with each other and then end up louder than me reading or they get in a fight. So I'm trying to see if I can glean an alternative to playing with toys. Do like the read during meals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slache Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 We often read in my bed after bath time and they're all relaxed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HS Mom in NC Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 My kids have played with quiet toys, done arts and crafts, built with construction toys, tumbled on a gymnastics mats and bounced on an exercise ball. If they can't be quiet doing what they're doing, then they have to stop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerryAtHope Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 My kiddos are 7, 4, and 1. They play quietly but lately towards the end they start playing with each other and then end up louder than me reading or they get in a fight. So I'm trying to see if I can glean an alternative to playing with toys. Do like the read during meals. I did do some reading during meals, especially nonfiction with fewer pictures. Often at those ages, I had one on either side of me (assuming the 1 yo is in nap time etc...) so they were looking at the pictures rather than playing with each other. If they did have play time, it was in separate areas (such as one on one couch, one on another, sitting on either side of me, one on the floor & one in a chair, etc...) When I had reading that was for my older's school, he sat by me and dd had permission to be in the room as long as she was quiet. If she made noise, she had to play in her room while I finished up. I found that gradually her stamina for playing quietly lengthened, and eventually she was sitting by me for those history/science readings. You might check whether your read-aloud time is getting too long since they are good until near the end. Also check the level of books and make sure it's not too far above their level. The things I let my kids play with had to be things that didn't make noise, could be played while seated (no getting up/moving around, except in the scenario where I was reading to my oldest for school--youngest could move some but quietly), and no interacting with the other sibling and his/her toy. Also, it had to be something to keep busy hands busy but not take away attention (they needed to be able to track with what I read). Happy Reading! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheAttachedMama Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 What a mother allows during read aloud time is going to be VERY personal since we all have different tolerances to movement and noise while reading. For example, I am REALLY effected by movement while I am reading. I get distracted very easily by that. I am not the type of person who can bring a book to a park bench and concentrate on it. :) I need stillness to really think about what I am reading. So my rules don't allow for a ton of movement in a room. (Although I would LOVE to be the type of mom who could read while her kids bounced on a trampoline.) Noise doesn't bother me TOO much...but Other people are really effected by noise. Here are our rules: 1) Doing things: Personally, I don't mind if they are doing something while reading....but it has to be something sort of mindless that doesn't distract them from the book. I know my children well enough to know what they can and can't do while reading. For example, my son cannot play legos while reading because he gets so wrapped up in his imagination he tunes out the book. But he can fidget with something, eat, etc. My daughter is very movement oriented. So she is usually doing somersaults on the couch or something while I read. Honestly, that drives me nuts, but she actually listens better if she is moving around. So I allow a little movement/"gymnastics" lol , but I don't like them jumping on the couch or wrestling or anything that drastic. 2) Questions/Interruptions: I encourage questions, but I have them silently signal with their hand if they have one. I sort of acknowledge it by giving them a sign, but I don't stop reading. They know to just wait quietly until I get to a good stopping point and then I will give them a chance to ask. So I read until the end of the sentence, paragraph, conversation, etc. then stop and acknowledge them so they can ask. Doing it this way still encourages good conversations while reading. (I want them to stop me if they don't understand something or have a point to make after all!) BUT, it also prevents a constant barrage of interruptions. Also, many times their questions are answered if they just listen a little longer. So that solves that problem too. 3) No outside conversations during read aloud. If you have something you want to say, you need to signal to me so I can stop reading. ------------ You have a wide age range of kids, so honestly read aloud are going to be tricky sometimes. I would try reading to them while they are eating. You could sit in a way where they could all see the book and read then. (Full mouths = quiet kids. Plus they are all doing something to stay busy that doesn't involve playing/fighting.) You could also set them all around the table with some popcicles or playdough or popcorn or something else fun/distracting and see if that doesn't help. If that doesn't work, you might also try finding some good audiobooks and putting those on in the car. This would give you a 'captive' audience. lol Or you could listen to audiobooks at home, that way you could help occupy the 1 year old while you all listen. You wouldn't have to do audiobooks for EVER, but it might be a good short term solution until they get a little older. If that doesn't work, you might try spreading out your read aloud time throughout the day. It can be hard picking ONE book that appeals to those ages, and that may be why they are having trouble listening well. So maybe instead of trying to combine them all for read aloud time, you could give them all separate focused attention. For example, you might have toddler read aloud time right after breakfast while the older kids get dressed and brush their teeth. You could read a few board books, cuddle the baby on your lap, and have a special time just for her. THEN, you might choose a few picture books to read to the 4 year old later that morning. If possible, you could even do this in a separate room while the 7 year old plays with the 1 year old. Later, after lunch, you could have the younger kids lay down for quiet time, and the 7 year old might get his special read aloud time with you. During this time you could read him a special chapter book. I know some moms who do this all at bedtime. The younger kids go first with story and sleep while the older kids get to stay up a few minutes later. I am way TOO tired for that. But it works for some people! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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