Help me like reading to my children

[WiseOwlKnits]

I feel like an awful parent saying this, but I don't like reading to my DD. I love reading to myself. And I don't mind reading to DS so much because his books are short.

 

Once DD got to the point where she could read on her own and she was no longer happy with the 10-minute picture book, I sort of stopped reading to her. She's an excellent independent reader and reads way above her grade level. We talk about things that she's reading and I keep her stocked with new books from the library. Reading to DD is just ... ugh for me. And as cliche as it sounds, it's not her, it's me. She's perfectly pleasant to read to...she's attentive, she doesn't interrupt incessantly, etc. And she LOVES to be read to.

 

I've been trying to come up with some low energy things to do with her since I'm not feeling well (I'm pregnant with Hyperemesis.) and asked if she'd like to read a book together this afternoon. So we sat down with Matilda. She was SO into it. We read for 2.5 hours and only stopped because I asked her if it would be ok to stop. When I was done, she thanked me and asked if we could do this more often.

 

I was actually having fun with Matilda because I haven't read it before either. And it wasn't your typical dumbed-down plot children's book. So help me out. Tell me how important it is to read to your children even after they can read on their own. Tell me good books to read to her. Tell me that you hate reading to your kids too. ;)

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

Can you snuggle together and listen to an audiobook? My kids have liked all the Laura Ingalls Wilder books on CD. We've also listened to Henry Huggins and the Penderwicks books.

[JudoMom]

I used to hate it, but now that I've done it regularly for several years I've gotten to the point where I actually enjoy it and look forward to it.

[OrganicAnn]

While my voice gets tired of reading, I actually like read to my DD. I've read so many books that I never read as a child. There are some that I enjoy myself and have to grab the book and catch up when my DH reads some nights.

 

For kids that can read, there are still more advanced books (length, vocabulary etc) that they won't be able to read easily, but would benefit from having it read to them.

 

So I'd recommend that when you come across a book that you think both you and your DD would enjoy, that you set it aside to use as a read aloud.

[Susan in TN]

I used to hate to read aloud, too. With so many kids and reading/teaching lessons to them all day, my voice (and head) just got so tired! I finally got into the habit of daily story time, though, and I really enjoy it as long as I don't have to "read above the noise" (sometimes I send the two littles in for nap if they just won't pipe down.)

 

I do limit the read-aloud time to 30-45 minutes. That's usually 1-3 chapters, depending on the book. If it's a book that I really don't like, then I don't read it. So basically I'm a read-aloud dictator (see profile description below :D). A couple months ago we were reading "With Pipe, Paddle, and Song" and it was so boring I finally gave up; I gave a 2 minute summary of the rest of the book, and that was it. I won't read Henty or Dickens aloud ever again:tongue_smilie:. We'll listen on CD if necessary.

 

I remember hearing at a seminar the importance of reading to your children. They actually said that it's MORE important to read aloud to your kids when they are teenagers. Had something to do with a particular stage of language development.

[gardening momma]

I find I get better at reading aloud the more I do it (my voice doesn't get tired as easily, unless I've been sick). I wouldn't read for 2.5 hours, though. We're currently reading through the Little House on the Prairie books. I'm not sure when we started--maybe towards the beginning if this past school year? We're on the 5th book now. I usually read 1-2 chapters a night, depending on their length.

[gardening momma]

If it's a book that I really don't like, then I don't read it. So basically I'm a read-aloud dictator

Me too. Dh and I take turns putting the kids to bed. When it's my turn, I read the next chapter of whatever Little House book we're working on. When it's his turn, they get to pick books for him to read.

[woolybear]

Definitely finding good books, either ones you never read or ones you loved as a kid, are important. Ones you've never read are fun because it is a new journey for you too, but the ones you already love are great too because you know you are sharing something wonderful with your child. Also, try shorter reading times. The marathon reading sessions (2 and half hours is long) will burn you out sooner. Also, consider making it special by doing a tea time read aloud.

[snickelfritz]

I hate reading chapter books. I read lots of shorter things. I read the occasional chapter book, if it has short chapters. We listen to LOTS of chapter books on audio. That's how I keep her listening to advanced literature that she isn't ready to read.

 

I am very lucky that our library has an extensive audio collection. We've listened to Secret Garden, The Little Princess, The Wizard of Oz, Ballet Shoes, Dancing Shoes, several of The Little House series, Runaway Dolls, several of the Series of Unfortunate Events, the first two Chronicles of Narnia books, several Roald Dahl books.....all in the last year. That doesn't count the picture books with audio or shorter stories like Just So Stories or Mrs. Piggle Wiggle books that we get.

Edited June 6, 2011 by snickelfritz

[texasmama]

I used to hate it, but now that I've done it regularly for several years I've gotten to the point where I actually enjoy it and look forward to it.

 

:iagree: Read aloud time has become a very sweet time for us. I think because my youngest "baby" is almost 6, I am feeling the angst of them getting older. I know these are "limited time availability" activities. I cannot say exactly how limited...my oldest son loves to be read to at almost 11, but I know I will not be reading aloud their college texts so it ends at some point. Precious memories for all of us:001_smile:.

[ChristusG]

If I've read/heard the story before, I do not like reading (this is in regards to chapter books...not picture books). I'm currently reading The Boxcar Children series to my two kids. They LOVE it. And I look forward to reading it to them as well. I think I probably read them when I was a kid, but I can't remember, so it's like reading a whole new book. If I know what's going to happen, I don't care to read it.

 

I can't read for long periods of time though....my voice gets tired LOL. We usually read for 30 - 45 minutes at a time.

[Ellie]

I kept reading to my dd after she could read, but I have limitations. I read aloud to her right after lunch, one chapter a day, each day we were home. That was all. I chose good books that I thought she might not read on her own but that I knew she'd enjoy; many were books that I hadn't read when I was a child, which made it all the better for me. :001_smile:

[EKS]

I used to *hate* reading aloud. But that was because I was so bad at it. When I started reading a lot to my older child when we started homeschooling, it was painful. But over time I've gotten better at it. I now read aloud for 2-3 hours per day (not all at once!) and it is no problem.

 

Now, being pregnant with hyperemesis might put a damper on the reading aloud thing. But once things are more stable and you get more practice, you'll probably find that it's not so bad.

[joannqn]

I used to read aloud to my oldest two for about half an hour before bed, but they use that time to read themselves now. Our new habit is that I read from our current book at the dinner table after we've eaten. I pick books from the SOTW AG most of the time. I find these classics more interesting, and none of them are books I've read before. We are currently reading Carry On, Mr. Bowditch. We only read one chapter at a time. I don't require the littles to stay because the books are above their heads; I read picture books to them at other times.

[Mom0012]

You know, one of the main ways I have bonded with my kids is by reading to them, but when they were little and I was just grabbing stuff off the shelves of the library, I started to feel like it was drudgery. Who wants to read a Dora book? Then I discovered Jim Trelease's Read-Aloud Handbook and the book suggestions were so good, I really began enjoying the books I was reading to them.

 

I've used SL with the kids since pre-k and I really like their book selections. I think you could get a lot of great ideas from their catalog. Or, maybe even the Read-Aloud Handbook. I'm not sure what age it goes to with the reading selections (I don't have time for a lot of extra reading with SL so I haven't used it in awhile). Oh, I do like to read the Lang fairy books to the kids over the summer, but if you like Matilda, you'll probably love Dahl's other stuff.

 

Lisa

[Jane Elliot]

Deep dark confession -- my kids brush my hair or rub my feet or back while I read aloud to them (not all of them, just one kid at a time.) This is extra nice during pregnancy.;)

 

Additionally, I usually only read aloud books that I'm in the mood for or that I'm interested in.

 

This probably all seems very selfish, but we do read aloud a lot here, and my kids do enjoy it (and I do too!)

[FO4UR]

It helps to read 1 chapter at a time...maybe 2. I read aloud a ton, but it's broken up through the day and we read a variety. I use amblesideonline and other CM resources for inspiration in choosing books and pacing them.

 

Today, I read a chapter from Viking Tales, SOTW 1, On the Banks of Plum Creek, Charlotte's Web, a Judy Bloom book, a couple Beatrix Potter stories, and several Mother Goose...and a Bible story. That is pretty typical around here...sometimes more and sometimes less. The time spent reading adds up, but we read 30min here, 30min there so it never gets tedius to me.

 

There are times I feel a bit guilty leaving the dishes in the sink and the laundry in the basket in order to read...but that guilt never lasts long enough to change our habits.:tongue_smilie:

[crazyforlatin]

She thanked you?!?! And she doesn't want presents too!

 

I kind of stopped reading to DD when she learned to read chapter books because I just couldn't read some of them aloud (e.g. Geronimo, Magic Tree House). DH loves to read aloud but since I'm the one that spends most of the time with her, I should have read more often during the day, but I didn't unless it was a book that I never read and it could hold my attention. I thought it was fine since she was an advanced reader, who happens to read really fast, but I think younger kids should not read constantly due to vision problems and should not be reading so quickly. So in the last several months, I've limited DD's reading time and whenever there is free time or when I need to do some work, she listens to an audiobook, which turns out to be about 3 hours per day.

 

Recently I downloaded a free lecture from IEW's website called Four Language Arts and Andrew Pudewa emphasized the importance of reading aloud - that it's vital to a child's education, specifically writing skill and other skills that I cannot remember right now. However, he did say that it was also fine to play audiobooks. I'm also making more of an effort, but normal books take time and it can be tiring on the voice.

 

So if you can't read aloud, I think it's perfectly fine to play an audiobook and listen to it together. Maybe even pause it after every chapter to talk about it if she likes.

 

ETA: I now bring my Kindle everywhere we go so whenever there is any waiting time, I read to her, even in public.

 

ETA part 2: You can also read longer picture books to her even if she is kind of past that because I tried that last weekend with DD and those books still captivate her.

Edited June 6, 2011 by crazyforlatin

[DianneR]

Reading aloud is critical - and you're doing it! Listening skills, vocabulary building.... I recommend that parents read more advanced literature than their children can currently read. Picture books are often advanced - and they make great read alouds because of their visual candy. I remember reading the Little House series to our daughter when she was two and three. My husband and I actually competed over who was going to read it to her! Wondering a specific books level? - I recommend to parents and friends Lexile.com. It only has books sent by publishers and their rating are not perfect (length of sentence and words) - so books that contain a lot of dialogue will rate lower.