Planning read *appropriate* read alouds with kids of differing ages?

[4KookieKids]

I was thinking of starting the illustrated Harry Potter books with my oldest two kids soon (8 & 6). At one per year (ish), I feel like they'll be ready for the mature content when it comes. But then I realized that my younger two kids (4 & 2) will stop taking naps and join us for reading after lunch in a few years (crazy that I didn't think of that sooner, right?) and it made me realize that I don't know how to handle that. They won't be ready to hear the 4th-7th HP books at ages 7-9, I'm almost certain.

 

 

So how do you structure your read alouds when some kids are wanting harder/more mature books, and others aren't ready for them yet? Do you just make the older kids read the books on their own? While that seems like an easy solution, I feel like we'll all miss out by not getting to share those books together. Do you have separate reading time for little(er) kids and big(ger) kids? How do they feel about that (like they don't want the "baby" time, at all)? Other solutions to this problem? I feel like it'd be more of a problem the bigger your age range is, and I'd love to hear how you all address it!

Edited January 14, 2017 by deanna1ynne

[TracyP]

I do two separate read alouds. One for my younger 3 and one for the older 2. The big kids sometimes join in for whatever I'm reading to the younger kids. (I know I'm reading an old favorite when that happens!) I read to the older kids after lunch while the others are having quiet time.

 

I thought this might be the last year I would be reading aloud to my 13yo (and then fold the 11yo in with the younger kids), but instead I'm enjoying our read alouds more than ever. The more mature books are sparking great discussions. Reading separately is time consuming but oh so worth it for me. I'm going to try to keep this going as longnas I can.

[Rachel]

I have separate times for reading with my kids when we are reading something not appropriate for all of them. For the most part I gear my read alouds to the entire family and the oldest reads more mature books on his own though.

[mamaraby]

I don't have separate read alouds. The span from my youngest to my oldest is 5 years and tbh, there was probably a lot that went over my youngest's head back in the day. On the other hand, she's also been rather insightful with some of the things she picks up in stories re: foreshadowing, etc which makes sense because she's had a lot of practice.

 

That being said, since you and I likely have different ideas about appropriateness (that's ok, different families, different ways of doing), I do FIAR with my youngest which has far younger books than my 6th grader might read for himself and it doesn't matter where he is or what he's doing when I start reading, he'll drift ever closer to listen in. Actually, I think all I have to do is start reading aloud and any child, anywhere in the house will start drifting in.

 

Good stories will draw people in no matter what. Pick good stories that fall within your guidelines of appropriate and if you've already cultivated that read aloud habit, I don't think you'll have a problem.

[Desert Strawberry]

I think you might be looking a bit too far into the future. A lot of things change in a few years. 

I do three read alouds. Baby books for the baby (which the two youngest boys join in), Picture books for  five and 7yos (which 10 and 2yo often join in), older book for oldest two (during which youngest three go play in their room and/or nap). My little ones are welcome to join in if they choose, but they usually would rather play. 

[TABmom]

I started the HP series with the intention of doing one/year. Haha. My then-8 yo, now 9 is finishing up the 7th book on his own.

[EKS]

I only dealt with two kids (5.5 year age difference) but I ended up doing the younger one's school in the morning (including read alouds) and the older one's school in the afternoon (including read alouds).  The older one did his independent work in the morning.  Then before bed I read to the younger first and then the older. 

[Julie of KY]

As others, we've always done some read-alouds for everyone and others for just some of the kids. Now when we do read-alouds for the younger ones, my oldest often comes and curls up to listen again.

[happypamama]

I would do two sets of readalouds and put on audio books in a different room for the younger ones when you want to read HP to the older ones.

[KristaJ]

My DH read the Harry Potter series aloud over the past year (took almost a year to read all seven books) to my 7, 8, and 10 yo.  All three of the kids were able to handle the content, but we also discussed it as a family so they were able to express their feelings when it was confusing or dark.  My middle child did cry when certain characters were killed, but it didn’t do too much damage because she is already rereading the entire series independently.  In the end, they enjoyed the depth and complexity of the story.

 

But, if you don’t feel comfortable reading it to your younger kids yet, why not read it in the evenings when the littles are already in bed?  We do read alouds at night, and I think it helps the kids calm down and settled for bedtime.

[wendyroo]

I don't know how I would stretch a Harry Potter book for a year, and I think my kids would mutiny if I read Book 1 (only 17 chapters and 300ish pages) and then said we were going to wait 11+ months before reading the next one.  When my older boys get into a book, they much prefer we just keep reading.  We read all of Nim's Island (128 pages) in one sitting because they were so engaged, and I was loath to break the spell.

 

Wendy

[silver]

My youngest often isn't interested in listening to the books that are beyond her; right now she sits and listens to books like The Wizard of Oz, but won't listen to books like The Phantom Tollbooth. She also goes to bed sooner than my school-aged kids, so my husband and I can read more mature books for bedtime stories to the big kids.

[4KookieKids]

Lol. And I've been schooled! lol. I agree that I'm probably thinking too far ahead! I, also, doubt I can only do one a year. But I thought it'd be worth a try! :)

 

 

Either way, it's helpful to know that most of you do just do separate read alouds. They have individual reading time with their dad in the evenings (one kid each night for four nights a week), but that's harder for me to manage during the day. But I think maybe having two groups would be manageable in the long run. I suppose we do that anyway right now: it's just that the "younger" time is more "family" time, since my olders always join us anyway... lol.

[Tanaqui]

I think my kids would mutiny if I read Book 1 (only 17 chapters and 300ish pages) and then said we were going to wait 11+ months before reading the next one.

 

And yet, that's exactly what we had to endure as kids. Read it - wait months or years for the sequel. THE AGONY.

 

[MotherGoose]

I have been doing read alouds together for a year or two to my 10 and 7 year olds. But I think most of it goes I've the head of my7 year old and she really wants me to read her something separate anyway. Been toying with idea of stopping group read alouds at all and doing separate readalouds at bedtime, when baby is already asleep. I might spend the same 30 minutes but do it more productively.

[4KookieKids]

And yet, that's exactly what we had to endure as kids. Read it - wait months or years for the sequel. THE AGONY.

 

I know! lol. I was only going to read the illustrated ones with them, and I thought that would slow them down perhaps (if I didn't focus on the fact that the NON-illustrated ones were already out.) The illustrated ones seem to be coming out around one a year, and I thought that might be nice pacing. Maybe my older kiddo would re-read the last one on his own before we started the next illustrated one together or something. I didn't really have it all figured out yet! lol.

[HS Mom in NC]

We had 2 read alouds going every day. 

 

[CadenceSophia]

We have split up bed time reading. DH does the little kids, I do the big kids.  I foresee this division lasting, maybe swapping around groups at different ages for different interests but having an extra reader really helps them each get what they need.  We also are planning on doing  1 HP/year. I gave my 8 year old the first book for Christmas.  My kids knew before we started the 1st that they were NOT getting the next for another year.  Previously they have had to watch all their friends "play" HP while not knowing the story themselves, so they are really excited to even get a little bit.

Edited January 18, 2017 by CadenceSophia

[4KookieKids]

Thanks so much all! That's given me a lot of good ideas for the future. Unfortunately, for now, I think HP is going to go back on the shelf. Hubby had asked me to re-read it thinking of my kids one last time before starting it with them, and I realized at the unicorn blood drinking part that that would be too much for them. They're very sensitive. I think they could handle the end with Quirrel better than they could an innocent unicorn having its blood drank and the way it describes it. Ah well. delays this problem for at least two more years (until my next one stops napping, hopefully!). :)