Mimm Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 At what age do you stop reading to your kids on a regular basis or as a part of school? Mine are 8 and 10 and they still love being read to. I planned to keep reading to them as long as they want it, especially since they read independently with no problem. But I was just curious. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usetoschool Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 Never. One of our best (and last with my big kids) memories was reading A Tale of Two Cities out loud. We kept reading out loud until they graduated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyfaithe Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 We never stop reading aloud. We read for an hour or 2 each night...and all the kids who are home listen...and love it. My dd's who do live at home look forward to read alouds when they visit...and I have caught them staying up late reading aloud to eachother:001_smile: Faithe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amsunshine Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 Mine are 8 and 9 and I plan to read to them all the way through high school! I'm sure there will be more times when we will read "popcorn style" when they get older, the way Lori D. has done with her dc. Nevertheless, family read alouds are here to stay! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dinsfamily Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 Never. One of our best (and last with my big kids) memories was reading A Tale of Two Cities out loud. We kept reading out loud until they graduated. This is my plan. I can't wait to read A Tale of Two Cities aloud! Glad it has worked out for some of the pps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elise1mds Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 Mine are 8 and 6 and we're halfway through the Little House series. DS has already read the series on his own, but he enjoys listening to it again, and this is DD's first time through. After this, we have the Percy Jackson series, the Narnia series, and the Harry Potter series as read-alouds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 Never! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g7s22 Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 Mine are 9,7,5. They love being read to, and I don't ever plan to stop! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kokotg Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 Still reading to my 8 and 10 year olds, and I can't imagine stopping. We're doing Watership Down and The Two Towers right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wy_kid_wrangler04 Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 I don't plan on stopping! My 13 year old still loves being read to! Right now mine are 5,6,9 and 13 and until my 13 year old begs me to stop I am reading to her, but for now she enjoys it! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpnick in nc Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 We never stop reading aloud. We read for an hour or 2 each night...and all the kids who are home listen...and love it. My dd's who do live at home look forward to read alouds when they visit...and I have caught them staying up late reading aloud to eachother:001_smile: Faithe I love this! DH and I read to each other so much before kids. Of course I still read a lot to my kids, but this inspires me to try to make it work on the family level. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiegirl Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 I hope we never stop our read alouds. I am looking forward to reading the heavy duty books like Anna Karennina, The Count of Monte Cristo and Crime and Punishment. This is my plan but I don't know whether reality will stay true to my plan, though. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morosophe Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 When my husband and I were first married, and even for a little while after our oldest son was born, we read to each other. I think we got "read out" when my son started getting old enough to get read to, though. Maybe we'll start again someday. From what I understand, it wasn't terribly uncommon in the nineteenth century for people to gather round in the evenings to do their handiwork and listen to a family member read. See, for one example, Understood Betsy, in which Betsy is given this all-important task. The day when the latest serial in a Dickens story arrived was sure to be a particularly big day! And yes, my husband and I were reading Dickens to each other as well. His work is a lot of fun to do that way, as the readers of A Tale of Two Cities who posted above may attest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy1k Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 Whenever they are old enough to not go on car trips with us? :D My kids are 15, 13, and 10 and we are reading The Hunger Games aloud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhrice3 Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 NEVER!!! I read to all of mine up until they went to college. I would select something that they all would like and appreciate - classics like Charles Dickens, most anything in the middle school/high school of the Sonlight catalog, etc. We would read during lunch or at breakfast. They always begged for more. My older one is graduated now and my second one is in public school now as a junior, but I still read to my 11 yr old. Some of my happiest memories will be sitting in that comfy chair with my mug of coffee and them begging for me to read "just one more"! Select something that you will all enjoy - whatever it might be. When we did not have a book, I would take this huge children's book of poems and the kids would scream out a # and I would turn to that page and read the poem on that page. Read, read, read as long as you can. It is such precious times! ReneeR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen in CO Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 Never. And after they go off to college, if you're lucky, they will send you their reading list for the semester so you can read the books too then talk about them over the breaks. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnL Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 My kids are 10, 7, and 4 and I read to the big kids at lunch, while the 4 year old is "napping" (aka playing in his room) with his cousin. Right now I'm reading the Ramona books. I read to the 4 year old in the evenings, too, of course. And dh reads to the big kids sometimes. He read all of The Three Investigators books to our 10 year old, and he's reading Harry Potter to our 7 many evenings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABQmom Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 I hope never. My oldest is 15 and when I asked her if she wanted to stop participating in read alouds, she replied, "No way!" It's our favorite part of the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerryAtHope Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 AS long as they'll let me! They're 14 & 12 & we're still going strong! (In fact tonight we watched a show into our normal reading time & ds asked if we were still going to read & made sure I knew he wanted to. We're a little over halfway through Ben Hur & the interest is really building!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razorbackmama Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 When they move out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmoe Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 We stopped in high school because it became hard with everyone's schedule to include everyone. It seemed like it took forever to get through a book because we wanted to include everyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hollyh Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 Wow... I have never even considered the concept of continuing to read/reading as a family. Neither my dh or I were raised that way. I would love to hear more about how you ladies fostered an environment like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soror Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 We don't plan on stopping either. It is wonderful family time. I love that our family time is spent reading instead of watching tv as is often the norm around here. Dh and I get really involved in the books as well even though we haven't got to anything too advanced yet, good books are always great, regardless of their level. I only wish we had more time in the evenings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 I still read to my 14yo and cannot see that stopping in the foreseeable future. We both love it. I do not read her history or science, etc., to her, but we do start every day snuggled in my bed reading literature out loud. She is also expected to read quite a bit of literature on her own--the read-aloud is to bring the classics alive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 Wow... I have never even considered the concept of continuing to read/reading as a family. Neither my dh or I were raised that way. I would love to hear more about how you ladies fostered an environment like that. For us, it started because I love books and read aloud to my kids as little ones. Then we got all inspired by Sonlight's read-aloud philosophy (that reading aloud allows the child to experience more advanced works). This coincided with some health difficulties on my part that made getting out of bed in the morning very, very difficult for me. Dh would bring me tea or juice and settle dd in the bed next to me. When I felt awake enough, I would start by reading to her and doing her Bible worksheets together in the bed. That way we could get a few things done first thing. It was a lovely, snuggly time together and quickly became the bedrock of our home school endeavor. Then at night there were always stories, of course. We found that sometimes all four of us would enjoy a story so much that we all wanted to be in on it, and thus the family read-aloud time came to be. At this stage I still read in bed first thing with the kids. At one point I tried to switch read-aloud time to right after lunch, but the kids really missed the morning snuggle, so we have ended up sticking with the morning for this. It's a pleasant way to start the day. We also read-aloud most nights, sometimes as a family, sometimes just with one child each. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellen in PA Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 I agree with many here about never stopping read alouds. The shared experience of a book cannot compare to watching TV. Most days I read at meal times. After I finish eating, I read fiction, science, history, music, art, and various library books of interest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momtotkbb Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 Well, my youngest is 8 and my oldest is 22 (turning 23 soon) and two teens in the middle and I'm still reading to all of them. Okay, my oldest only when he's home visiting, but still he listens in to our read alouds. I generally read something all ages can enjoy and then do more mature read alouds for my older one. When dh and I were first married I would read aloud to him too. What I think is sweet is my oldest and his girlfriend read aloud to each other --they both like different types of literature so I think their motive is to get the other to like what they read - but still sweet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mimm Posted June 6, 2011 Author Share Posted June 6, 2011 Wow... I have never even considered the concept of continuing to read/reading as a family. Neither my dh or I were raised that way. I would love to hear more about how you ladies fostered an environment like that. This is why I asked. I don't really plan to stop with my kids, but the way I was raised, reading to someone was something you did for little kids till they could read for themselves. I got bedtime stories until I was maybe six (so, just a little past starting to read) and my father did read the Narnia books to my brothers and I when we were a little older and we loved it. But that was it for our entire childhood, that I recall anyway. And we were a big reading family, but only reading on our own. A new book that everyone wanted to read would get bought and everyone scrambled to get it first and then a "waiting list" formed (but no one wrote it down, so people would steal the book). :) Anyway, it's nice to see so many people having family reading time. It makes me want to make it a nightly tradition. As it is, I don't read aloud every day and there are gaps between books. But so many books we want to get through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razorbackmama Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 Wow... I have never even considered the concept of continuing to read/reading as a family. Neither my dh or I were raised that way. I would love to hear more about how you ladies fostered an environment like that. We weren't raised that way either. And honestly I would not consider our family now a "reading family." 2 of my daughters and I are the only ones who read. I've read aloud to them over the years, but it's been very hit and miss. But after reading The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease and having learning difficulties hit our family that I believe were caused in part by a LACK of reading aloud when they were little, it has become a HUGE priority for me. We do some reading aloud during school, but our "good" reading is at night before bed. Everyone is to head up to bed at 8:30. I read a "girl book" to the girls at 8:30 for 15 minutes. (I set a timer.) Then I read a "boy book" to the boys for 15 minutes. My girls beg for it every night. 2 of my boys would probably be thrilled to BITS if I were to quit, and the other, while he enjoys it enough, he isn't sad if we happen to miss a night. However, I'm the mom, it's good for their brains, therefore, I read aloud to them whether they want it or not.:D I recently read an article about a single father who read to his daughter. When she was in high school and would go to parties, she would have someone bring her home for read-aloud time and then go back to the party. I don't expect my boys to ever do that:lol: but it was neat to read about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerryAtHope Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 Wow... I have never even considered the concept of continuing to read/reading as a family. Neither my dh or I were raised that way. I would love to hear more about how you ladies fostered an environment like that. I wasn't raised that way either--I think I was 6 or so when my mom stopped. But it's just our nightly routine--we've always done stories before bedtime, and have never stopped. We use Sonlight, which has tons of wonderful books, and you ease into chapter books and keep on. I think in the middle of my son's K year I realized that all their chapter books in the "Read-aloud" category would make great night-time stories, and because our school day was feeling a tad long, I switched them to nighttime and never looked back. I've added in so many more because we read on weekends, summers etc... too. We're reading Ben Hur right now, and none of us can wait to get to the Chariot Race scene! It's fascinating! I've read all the Narnia books, all the Little House books, the Little Women series (which reminds me I'd like to read a few other Alcott books this summer if I have time), favorites from childhood (The Rescuers, Frosty a Raccoon to Remember and tons more), lots of Thornton Burgess books, Grimms Fairy Tales (the unsanitized version--I waited until last summer on that, my kids lovingly called it the Bloody Book, LOL!)... It's wonderful. We laugh together, they watch me cry (because their mom is a sap, LOL!--my daughter is always ready with the kleenex, ha!), I get to relive all my childhood favorites with them and more, the suspense is wonderful--I think some of my favorite words are, "one more chapter, PLEASE?" When my mom visits, she listens in--in fact, when I went to visit my grandma, she and my mom BOTH listened in--I think that was one of my favorite memories, reading to my kids, their Grandma and Great Grandma. DH listens in when he can--it's just great family togetherness time, and we've always made it a priority. I don't distinguish between "girl" books and "boy" books. Both kids have listened to books that have heroes and heroines--if it's well written, they will like it. Merry :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razorbackmama Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 I don't distinguish between "girl" books and "boy" books. Both kids have listened to books that have heroes and heroines--if it's well written, they will like it. Oh, Merry reminded me. I do girl and boy books only because the nightly read-aloud time is brand new for us. Since my oldest is 14 is NOT NOT NOT in favor of this time, I went with the boy/girl thing. This also allows us to read in their rooms since we have a boy and girl room. But if this were "old hat" I would just read whatever to everyone, most likely. (Although, Jim Trelease says to read to each child individually.:001_huh: ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbie Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 As long as they want me to. My oldest is 9 and can read just about anything, but he still enjoys being read to. I enjoy doing it so hopefully he keeps enjoying it. ;) :iagree::iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovelaughs_times_three Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 My Mom didn't read a bunch to us when we got older, but I do remember fondly the couple of books she did read to us. She read a book called China Cry. It was a biography of Nora Lam (an evangelist in China). I ran across that book the other day at a sale and bought it right up! I STILL have such fond memories of my Mom reading that book to us. The book was good, but even better was the warm feeling it gave to me to feel close to my Mom while she read - and I was in HIGHSCHOOL! Those warm, fuzzy feelings towards my Mom were rare in Highschool, but the read-aloud time did it for me. We weren't homeschooled, it was just something she did. I plan to contine the tradition all through school with my kids! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ondreeuh Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 Frosty a Raccoon to Remember I remember that book! My teacher read that aloud in 5th grade and I know I cried. I'm going to check the library - thanks for the reminder! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 Aw. What a nice thread to read :) Now I'm grown, I regret that my mother stopped reading to us so soon because there are so many words I recognise in books, but I don't know how to pronounce because I've never heard them. Now I'm reading to my daughter, they are tripping me up! I'm looking forward to the boy being old enough to join in read aloud times. For now he's still in that phase of trying to steal the books or sit on our heads... :) Rosie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 Once I started reading on my own, my mom stopped reading to me. However, I used to teach jr. high at a small Christian school. I taught Bible class and English (among other things), but in those two classes particularly I read aloud to the kids every day and they loved it. They'd put their heads down on their desks and just listen. Junior highers. I read high interest books like "The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle" and "Maniac Magee" and "The Outsiders". Those were particular favorites. But, I think people of all ages like to be read to. I have no plans to stop reading aloud to my kids! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobinF Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 Our oldest is almost 12 and dh and I still read aloud to them all. That is a part of our nightly routine that I don't see changing anytime soon. Dh picks a book the older boys will enjoy and the little one listen in. For me during school I am usually reading books to the little guys and the big guys listen in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meldamo Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 Never! It is a way for me to bridge the gap in ages of my children and the one thing we can do together. It is my favorite time of the day! We are adopting again, and I see our read-aloud time as a way to bond with our future child (a daily family activity) and maybe expand his/her English vocabulary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerryAtHope Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 I remember that book! My teacher read that aloud in 5th grade and I know I cried. I'm going to check the library - thanks for the reminder! Frosty was one of my favorite books ever! My copy is yellowed & I had to hold it carefully because I read it so much as a child! Cried every time too, I'm sure! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerryAtHope Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 (Although, Jim Trelease says to read to each child individually.:001_huh: ) Hm, that's very interesting. I do at times have individual books going but I haven't kept up with them well (and I only have 2 kids--I can't imagine in your shoes!). This year ds decided to start reading history on his own, and dd loves having me read to just her--at first neither of us thought we'd like it, but it has turned out to be a very special time. In some ways it reminds me of when my oldest was the only one I read to because my youngest wasn't interested yet...I can see that there's something very special about being able to do that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnMomof7 Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 Just another vote for, "You don't!" My oldest daughter still listens to the preschool read alouds. Hey, sometimes DH does too! He is captivated by my recent reading of an old version of Beauty and the Beast from my e-reader at bedtimes. Good read alouds never get old (nor do you get too old for them!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 I read to the boys (not homeschooling) during the summers, until they were about 11 or so. Dd doesn't want me to read to her anymore (when she was 10, she told me it was faster for her to read it herself, and she refused to let me). I wasn't ready! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 My Mom didn't read a bunch to us when we got older, but I do remember fondly the couple of books she did read to us. She read a book called China Cry. It was a biography of Nora Lam (an evangelist in China). I ran across that book the other day at a sale and bought it right up! I STILL have such fond memories of my Mom reading that book to us. The book was good, but even better was the warm feeling it gave to me to feel close to my Mom while she read - and I was in HIGHSCHOOL! Those warm, fuzzy feelings towards my Mom were rare in Highschool, but the read-aloud time did it for me. We weren't homeschooled, it was just something she did.I plan to contine the tradition all through school with my kids! Just a slight hijack to ask--you do know China Cry was made into a movie, right? :D It's pretty powerful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy1k Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 Wow... I have never even considered the concept of continuing to read/reading as a family. Neither my dh or I were raised that way. I would love to hear more about how you ladies fostered an environment like that. For us, it started when my oldest was in 1st grade and had an interest level above his reading level. He wanted to borrow a book from his teacher, but she didn't think he would be able to read it himself. She called me and asked if I'd read it aloud. :laugh: Then I never stopped. He's 18 now and reads on his own. ;) I read often to my 13 and 10 year olds who are home-schooled, but just recently talked my 15 year old into joining us again. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy1k Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 Actually, when I say I talked him into it, what really happened was I started reading The Hunger Games while we were on a road trip and he loved it and asked that he be included in our reading time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverick_Mom Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 I read until they beg me not to. I will admit that as they get older, it's harder to find books they're interested in having read to them -- but with the right book, we all enjoy it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovelaughs_times_three Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 Just a slight hijack to ask--you do know China Cry was made into a movie, right? :D It's pretty powerful. No, I didn't!! Thanks! I'll have to get on Netflix and add it to my que (oh goodness! How DO you spell that word? queue?) Anyway, thanks for the info!:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ereks mom Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 We do family read-alouds (see the dc's ages below), and I am the designated reader. EK and dh love to be read to; they are very auditory. ER is visual (as am I), and gets fidgety if he sits and listens with nothing to do with his hands or eyes. So I read aloud, and ER reads his own copy. We've read lots of books together. Just over the past year or so, we've read Inkheart, all 7 of the Harry Potter books, and The Hobbit. We are currently reading The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovelaughs_times_three Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 Actually, when I say I talked him into it, what really happened was I started reading The Hunger Games while we were on a road trip and he loved it and asked that he be included in our reading time. :thumbup: I love this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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