How old is too old for read alouds?

[Michelle T]

Do those of you with older kids (middle school age and up) still read out loud to them? Literature, not science or history lessons.

 

How old is "too old" for read alouds? Or do you keep on reading good literature all the way through high school?

Michelle T

[Jenn in Mo]

We definitely keep reading. It's our favorite part of the day. And when Dad is able to read, we're over the moon. Cuddling on the couch, listening to a great story....sigh....who's too old for that? I'm not! ;)

[titianmom]

About 21. Just kidding.

 

My daughter and I read together all the time and she's 12. She's an excellent reader with an excellent vocabulary. We read old series books together, Uncle Eric books together, etc. We discuss as we read and love every minute of it. It's our bonding time.

 

I wouldn't trade it for the world and I'll miss this time we have together. I'm sure some day in her teens she'll tell me to get lost, but I hope not.

 

The other night I got to bed late, as I always do, and I found her in bed reading Gulliver's Travels. Light fare, no?

 

All of us read continually.

 

Take care,

Kim

[titianmom]

I LOVE your image of Granny.

 

Priceless...

 

(I'm an old, old homeschooling mom.)

 

Kim

[Pretty in Pink]

You're never too old for read-alouds! We sit around reading aloud for fun some evenings, "Like the old days!" my children say.

[Heather in VA]

Let me tell you a story about my father. He was doing post-doc work in Chemistry and one of the guys decided to have a 'read aloud' group. They thought maybe a few people would be interested so the university said they could use a small spare classroom. Within weeks, the word got out and the eventually needed the largest auditorium in the place.

 

So I figure if the seriously geeky (said lovingly) chemistry post-doc students like read-alouds, so do my kids :-).

 

Heather

[ABQmom]

My oldest is 13. I asked her if she was bored with being read to, and would she rather I not read aloud to her. She said, "No, I love read aloud time". It's a kick back and enjoy time of the day for all of us.

[Alphabetika]

My dd is 15 and still lets me read aloud to her sometimes. In fact, she shocked me recently by asking if I'd read Joan Aiken's Wolves Chronicles to her again - I read them to her about 5 years ago, and she's since read the series on her own. I really hope we get the chance. Last year when she did Notgrass American I read her Little Women because I had never read it, and I read her many of the source documents in the history because she needed help with them. I also regularly read to my 10 yo dd, who designates some books as "read to self," some as "I want Mom to read to me," and some,"Either."

 

I think reading aloud is my favorite part of parenting. :)

[Julie in MN]

Let me tell you a story about my father. He was doing post-doc work in Chemistry and one of the guys decided to have a 'read aloud' group. They thought maybe a few people would be interested so the university said they could use a small spare classroom. Within weeks, the word got out and the eventually needed the largest auditorium in the place.

 

So I figure if the seriously geeky (said lovingly) chemistry post-doc students like read-alouds, so do my kids :-).

 

Heather

 

Heather, I love that story! Thanks for sharing!

 

My 13 yo loves to be read to, but alas won't give up his evenings for it any more. Pretty much needs to be during "school time." So sad :nopity:

[Susie in MS]

We stopped when they graduated. And only then cuz they had jobs or college. Otherwise we would have just kept on reading aloud. It was a special time we spent together. Now I read to my little one, and right at this moment big sister (23 yo) is reading to little sister. :001_smile:

[TulaneMama]

another family who still loves to read alound!!! In fact, as an adult I still enjoy being read to.

[Ibbygirl]

I still read aloud to my 12 yo dd everyday. I enjoy the time sharing a book together, but I heard a program on NPR once that talked about how parents should continue to read to a child after they can already read on their own and that to quit reading to your children as they get older is a mistake that a lot of parents make. She went on to cite studies and statistics as to why reading to your child at all ages is good... I can't remember the facts, I just remember feeling a sense of validation for my choice to still read to my dd. :)

[LadyAberlin]

My mom read to us all the way through highschool.

[Satori]

We plan to until she leaves for college. :)

 

I just got done reading The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease, that book is extremely convincing on all this! :)

[Rosie_0801]

I get sad when dh finds something to do in the evenings other than read aloud. The kids are too young to care, but I do!

 

:)

Rosie

[JudyJudyJudy]

Great stories!

 

When I was teaching school, my kids in middle school loved for me to read aloud to them. Even my kids who often misbehaved at other times would sit and listen intently while I read. I suspect if I had taught something other than math when I taught high school, those kids would have enjoyed my reading to them as well.

 

Very often I read to my son, or he reads to me. Pretty frequently I read to both my husband and my son. Recently my son checked War Horse by Michael Morpurgo out of the library, and my husband wants me to read it to both of them.

[Ibbygirl]

Great stories!

 

When I was teaching school, my kids in middle school loved for me to read aloud to them. Even my kids who often misbehaved at other times would sit and listen intently while I read. I suspect if I had taught something other than math when I taught high school, those kids would have enjoyed my reading to them as well.

 

 

Very often I read to my son, or he reads to me. Pretty frequently I read to both my husband and my son. Recently my son checked War Horse by Michael Morpurgo out of the library, and my husband wants me to read it to both of them.

 

 

That's so nice!! :) My daughter doesn't particularly like me to read to her anymore unfortunately. She's at that age where she has to buck all authority, but I make her sit and listen anyway. She sighs and acts bored but then she will peek to see if there are any illustrations. ;) :p hehehe

 

I've never heard of War Horse... is it good?

[JudyJudyJudy]

I've never heard of War Horse... is it good?

I've only read the first two chapters, but so far it is good. It has 11 reviews on Amazon, all 5-star reviews.

[Melissa in Australia]

my husband loves listening in on the read alouds. so keep going 'till at least 49.

[jlovebaker]

Since we started homeschooling last year, I've been reading aloud to the kids. I had previously stopped when they learned to read on their own - we went for many years with NO read alouds. They are now going into 5th, 5th and 7th and I will continue to read aloud as long as they'll let me. I'm just sorry I thought I had to stop when they learned to read - wow, did we miss out for a bunch of years.

[EKS]

I still read aloud to my 13 yo. I read some of the literature that we study, as well as for fun in the evenings. Lately the fun stuff is historical fiction.

 

(And I do read science and history lessons aloud to him as well. It gives us a chance to discuss the material at the time he's learning it. I consider it to be similar to a lecture.)

[Haiku]

Well, my dad turns 70 this year and he and his wife (my most excellent step-mother) still read to each other, so I am guessing that no one is ever too old for read-alouds. I plan to read aloud to my kids until they move out.

 

Tara

[sadiegirl]

We still do read-a-louds in history, science, and just stories. We also do books on tape that they love. They also have their individual reading time for books on their own as well.

I have always read to my boys and I think it helps with vocabulary because many times they will stop me and ask what a word means. Now, I find when they are reading on their own, they will stop and ask what a word means so I think they have learned a good lesson to not just go past a word without thinking what it means in the story.

 

One thing I found amusing was my older(going into 8th)son commented after listening to a book on tape one day that he really enjoyed the story but he thought my voice and how I presented a story was way better! Now a bad compliment, huh!

 

So, keep reading aloud!--it does a mind good!

[Stacy in NJ]

Read alouds are great to share at any age, but by middle school age, if not sooner, I expect my dss to read their content area subjects independently.

 

Learning to read non-fiction independently, the more complex content, the more difficult vocabulary, is an important skill to develop. If your reading history and science content for them, I think this would be a problem.

[againes]

Keep reading it is the best time of the day for the whole family! It seems to bond us and give us shared experiences like nothing else! I am having difficulties planning for next year as my 16 year old will not be left out of the "re-read" alouds for her younger brother and sister. She wants to hear them again.

[ncmomo3]

All 3 of mine (ages in sig.) still enjoy being read to.

[Jean in Wisc]

I can no longer read to my mom. She is too hard of hearing. So, maybe when the hearing goes?

 

Family reading is priceless at any age.

 

Jean

[Ester Maria]

We stopped when they were about 7-8, because at that point they grew to prefer reading on their own and were very confident readers already. That doesn't mean that we never did it since, but we no longer did it as a regular practice.

[elegantlion]

I don't plan to stop until he graduates. He loves it, I love it, why stop a good thing. during school we usually have two read-alouds going at once, one school related and one just for fun.

[rockermom]

You know, when I was in 5th grade (public school), our class was shocked to learn that we would be read to by the teacher every day. No one had read aloud to us since 1st grade. We thought it was for babies.

 

It quickly became the part of the day that every single student looked forward to the most (except for the bell signaling the end of the day, of course).

 

Those read-alouds are still some of my fondest school memories.

[Ibbygirl]

Well, my dad turns 70 this year and he and his wife (my most excellent step-mother) still read to each other, so I am guessing that no one is ever too old for read-alouds. I plan to read aloud to my kids until they move out.

 

Tara

 

 

Ay, that is sooo sweeet!! I wish my husband and I read together in the evenings!! I wish we could have family time around a book. sigh.

 

We still do read-a-louds in history, science, and just stories. We also do books on tape that they love. They also have their individual reading time for books on their own as well.

I have always read to my boys and I think it helps with vocabulary because many times they will stop me and ask what a word means. Now, I find when they are reading on their own, they will stop and ask what a word means so I think they have learned a good lesson to not just go past a word without thinking what it means in the story.

 

One thing I found amusing was my older(going into 8th)son commented after listening to a book on tape one day that he really enjoyed the story but he thought my voice and how I presented a story was way better! Now a bad compliment, huh!

 

So, keep reading aloud!--it does a mind good!

 

Aww that is awesome!!! Way to go mom! :hurray: :grouphug: :)

Edited July 22, 2009 by Ibbygirl

[johnandtinagilbert]

never too old for read alouds :) Love them myself!

[Ibbygirl]

My daughter just handed me this poem and suggested I put it up here. Here it goes. Enjoy. :)

 

When Mother Reads Aloud

 

When Mother reads aloud, the past

Seems real as every day;

I hear the tramp of armies vast,

I see the spears and lances cast,

I join the trilling fray;

Brave knights and ladies fair and proud

I meet when Mother reads aloud.

 

When Mother reads aloud, far lands

Seem very near and true;

I cross the desert's gleaming sands,

Or hunt the jungle's prowling bands,

Or sail the ocean blue.

Far heights, whose peaks the cold mists shroud,

I scale, when Mother reads aloud.

 

When Mother reads aloud, I long

For noble deeds to do --

To help the right, redress the wrong;

It seems so easy to be strong,

So simple to be true.

Oh, thick and fast the visions crowd

My eyes, when Mother reads aloud.

[Kareni]

I just got done reading The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease, that book is extremely convincing on all this! :)

 

It's a great book. I like to give it out as a baby shower gift!

 

My daughter just handed me this poem and suggested I put it up here. Here it goes. Enjoy. :)

 

When Mother Reads Aloud

 

When Mother reads aloud, the past

Seems real as every day;

I hear the tramp of armies vast,

I see the spears and lances cast,

I join the trilling fray;

Brave knights and ladies fair and proud

I meet when Mother reads aloud.

 

...

 

Ibbygirl,

 

Did your daughter write the poem? Very nice! Thanks for sharing.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Ibbygirl]

It's a great book. I like to give it out as a baby shower gift!

 

 

 

Ibbygirl,

 

Did your daughter write the poem? Very nice! Thanks for sharing.

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

 

No she didn't write it, it was in her LA book and she remembered it when she was reading this thread over my shoulder. :p hehe I don't know who wrote it actually, it didn't name and author.

[Sahamamama]

Well, I'm 42 and my husband is 39, and we still read aloud to each other. The plan here is to continue doing Read Aloud as long as we both have the necessary eyesight and hearing for it to be effective. :D

 

On the serious side of things, really, I have seen in the children I've tutored that many of them were read to as little children (think, 0-5), but as soon as they sounded out "Max sat on a mat," it was O.V.E.R. Now that's depressing. Think about it... where's the lap? Where's the warmth? Where's the great acting out of wonderful stories, with VOICES and THUMPS and WHOOSHES, that only a parent can do (at first, but then the kids pick up on it).

 

When I tutored, I ALWAYS had the boys (1) listen to me read aloud; (2) listen to audiobooks (real books, long books, like "Treasure Island" or "Jungle Book" on CD); and (3) practice doing Read Aloud, usually with the same passage, short story, or poem, until they were fluent. Reading Aloud builds reading fluency, confidence, a love for language, a sense of good grammar, and a more sophisticated vocabulary (fore example, you can stop and say, "What does 'benison' mean, and if no one knows or figures it out from the context, you can look it up!). There are so many benefits to continuing Read Aloud throughout high school and into adult life. Make it just a normal part of living in your family.

 

Check this out:

 

http://www.triviumpursuit.com/articles/the_logic_level.php

 

Scroll down to...

Reading Aloud

 

Don't forget to continue to read aloud to all the children for one to two hours per day from a wide variety of literature, and keep up the narration. Reading aloud may be your favorite part of homeschooling.

 

Also, at the rhetoric level...

 

http://www.triviumpursuit.com/articles/the_rhetoric_level.php

 

Reading Aloud: Continue reading aloud to the family about two hours per day.

[MerryAtHope]

My mom and grandma like listening when I read to my kids--I don't think you're ever too old. In the past, people always told stories orally. It's a great tradition!

 

Merry :-)

[Karen in CO]

Keep reading. I read to my oldest all the way through. Last semester while he was away at college, he gave me his reading list so that I could enjoy the same books he was reading since we were too far apart to read aloud anymore. We at least got to talk about the books as we were reading them.

[yvonne]

I think spending time reading aloud together is second only to experiencing things together. It's such a wonderful way to build a common base of experience/understanding. Even at my children's young ages, we often see connections between our read alouds and other books or between our read alouds and real-life experiences.

 

Read alouds give us a chance to experience life in different places.

 

They give us a chance to experiment with different ways of living or acting and seeing the consequences from a safe distance. (I'm thinking this will be useful when my children hit the teen years. Sometimes it's easier to talk about things indirectly, when we're not personally involved.)

 

They give us a chance to talk about things we might not otherwise encounter or that my children haven't yet encountered.

 

I'm planning to continue reading aloud until my children leave home!

[Satori]

That's a great poem, I have it in my Read-Aloud Poems for Young People and it says "Author Unknown".

 

My favorite related poem is "The Reading Mother" by Strickland W. Gillilan. It ends with this:

 

 

 

You may have tangible wealth untold;

 

Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold,

 

Richer than I you can never be -

 

I had a mother who read to me.

 

[KrissiK]

My husband and I enjoy reading aloud to each other, too. We read Louis L'Amour books and short stories. When I was teaching jr. high I read aloud to the kids every day. They loved it and I think it develops so many skills - paying attention, imagination, etc. No one is ever too old to be read aloud to.

[Moni]

How old is "too old" for read alouds?

 

Never too old for readalouds.

Adults read to adults.

 

:seeya:

[MIch elle]

We take turns reading aloud paragraph in a round robin type reading aloud. We're reading now King Solomon's Mines from Project Gutenberg (free online) and Ephesians.

[EKS]

Last semester while he was away at college, he gave me his reading list so that I could enjoy the same books he was reading...

 

This is so sweet. I hope my son does the same.

[mktkcb]

What????? Wash your mouth out with soap woman!!!! (wink :o) ). Admittedly, we take breaks from reading aloud, but mine still love to be read to. My oldest just graduated, and she loves read aloud time. Over the years we've read all sorts of classics that they might not have picked up on their own. We try to mix it up....we'll read a "heavy", then we'll do something light or humorous, then maybe a missionary biography...you get the idea. Or if a "heavy" gets a bit burdensome, we'll take a break from it to read something else and come back to it. I will say, though, that you really have to make it a priority or it just won't happen. We try to do devotions and read aloud first every morning.

[kalanamak]

At least 51, by my direct knowledge.

 

Google "selected shorts", find a radio station near you who broadcasts these, and find out for yourself the "too old" age is at least a year older than yourself.

Edited July 23, 2009 by kalanamak

[kalanamak]

This is so sweet. I hope my son does the same.

:iagree:

[abcinnc]

No age limit here. Even my husband loves to listen in.

[Harriet Vane]

We will always read aloud.

 

Now that dd is older, often I read aloud for a set time and then ask her to finish reading to herself. It's actually been really helpful for literature selections that contain more difficult language (Shakespeare, Dickens, Austen, etc.). My reading a portion aloud helps dd fall into the language patterns and makes it much easier for her to read the rest to herself.