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Please share your reading aloud strategy, including how many at a time.


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I've never found a solution for us other than to read 1 book at bedtime and history and science during their times but someone recently shared with me that they had a reading hour where every 15 minutes was something different:

 

1. Literature read aloud 15 minutes

2. Silent reading 15 minutes

3. Another read aloud (fable, short story, poetry, etc) 15 minutes

4. Shared reading of younger child's books for 15 minutes

 

I have my dd7 read at least either 1 chapter or 20-30 minutes daily of her independent book.

 

Here's my vision of reading aloud, it just doesn't seem practical:

- History read aloud (Tapestry supplies these titles for me)

- Science read aloud

- Biography read aloud (history, science, music, art)

- For fun literature read aloud

- reading of poem(s) (that we're not memorizing) at least once a week, maybe start a weekly tea party?

 

I just can't wrap my head around how to get it done without stressing out about it, right now we accomplish:

- history nonfiction reading during history time

- literature from history as bedtime read aloud

- science nonfiction reading during history time with some short fiction being done

- dd7 can read two books simultaneously, an independent book she chooses and whatever I've assigned from either history or science (not both yet)

 

I've struggled with this for a LONG time, I want to read everything! Lol. So please share what you do...

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What we have done this year for my ds, who is a reluctant reader is...

 

1. Read aloud to start school (usually historical fiction)

2. Read aloud for science (text or ref) - 1 -2 x per week

3. Read aloud for history (text or ref) - 2-3 x per week

4. RTM (I call them Read-to-myself) silent reading - 1 -2 chapters per day

 

I would love to read-aloud to him all day, he enjoys it. However, my voice only holds out for so long. While I find myself reading several books at once, ds does better when we are focused on only two literature selections at once.

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We just...read. I have a book going all the time (right now Anne of Green Gables), and when we finish it, we do another--just based on what's around ("Hey, wanna read this one?") or something I've read in the past--'way past, sometimes! I guess that would be your fun literature. We read this type whenever dd needs something to do--not scheduled, but usually some time during the day, and usually in the evening, too.

 

We add in a history read aloud when I find something in the AG that I want to use. Most of the time, I just add it to the day, not necessarily at history time, but we don't have set times for each subject anyway. I do count it as history. If we've read SOTW and done a notebook page and a map (sometimes a project), and I think we need more, then I add in a read aloud, if I've found one and I feel we need to go deeper. We'll go on with the next chapter of SOTW even if the read aloud book isn't finished yet. Sometimes, the history book takes the place of our fun lit.

 

We let science slide a lot more than we should here. No help there!

 

Dd reads by herself at various times during the day. I don't schedule her free time at all. She has a very comfy back-pillow on the end of her bed (the bed is pushed into the corner), and a bookshelf within reach (and there's a window along the side of her bed, so lots of light), so there's a great set-up for reading. She often keeps a stack of books on her bed! Sometimes they are new to her, and sometimes she just picks up a favorite and rereads it. I used to let her go to bed half an hour early, with a booklight, and she'd gladly read before bed. Once in a great while, I'll assign her a book, but very rarely.

 

I think your poetry at tea time idea is excellent.

 

Bottom line for me is probably, allow lots of time. Read alot. Go with the flow. As they get older, they will read more. (Also, it's probably easier for my dd to find time to read because she doesn't have anyone else to play with, like your kids have each other.)

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Jessica,

 

I'll just share how we've been doing it.

 

During "couch time" I'll read:

 

Poetry

Some poetry (either a few short or one longer) -- this really only takes less than 5 minutes. Sometimes I read poetry pertaining to something we are studying (right now we've been enjoying insect and spider poems), while sometimes we read from poetry anthologies or the lovely Rod and Staff poetry books. Some are fun and silly, some are serious.

 

Non-Subject Related Literature

In other words, just good ole fashioned literature. ;) I have one read-aloud in this category going at all times. I usually read one chapter, more if the chapters are short or if the boys are begging a lot AND we have time.

 

History Supplemental Literature

I read a chapter from SOTW on one day, then the next day(s), I'll read supplemental nonfiction and historical fiction pertaining to that chapter.

 

At the table, I'll read:

 

Science

I read the science literature for the day while they color any pictures or do a little science activity. For instance, when I read about praying mantises, they colored pictures.

 

History

Story of the World is read at the table while they color the picture. I also sometimes have other coloring sheets pertaining to the topic for them to color. We then work on the maps.

 

Note: Sometimes I'll read poetry or the chapter book while they do their handwriting, while sometimes I unload the dishwasher. :D

 

These are read at night:

 

Bible/Bedtime Stories

My husband reads devotional material and bedtimes stories. These bedtime stories range from Franklin to Bill Peet to The Miller series.

 

Independent Reading

The boys are allowed to read from 9 PM to 10 PM each night. They can either sleep or read, and so far, they've always chosen reading. ;) Nathan works on a chapter book (like DeCamillo or Cleary) while Ben reads Cynthia Rylant and other beginner readers.

 

Further Notes:

I try to double up when I can. For instance, the reading during handwriting. I also usually let them draw on the floor with their little lap tables when I read our chapter book. They like to sit next to me for the picture books, though.

 

I noticed you have a separate category for biography. That's great, but it also seems like you're trying to figure out how to squeeze it all in. I already know we will never read everything I want to. Perhaps the biographies can be read during the subject time. Like, a history biography during the history time? Or, is there something else they can be doing while you read the biography?

 

I know how hard it is to squeeze in all of the reading I want to. :tongue_smilie: I sitll have Our Little Norman Cousin, Our Little Frankish Cousin and Our Little Celtic Cousin -- when am I going to get these read? ugh

 

Oh, also because we do science and history every day, I cannot squeeze in too much reading.

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She has a very comfy back-pillow on the end of her bed (the bed is pushed into the corner), and a bookshelf within reach (and there's a window along the side of her bed, so lots of light), so there's a great set-up for reading. She often keeps a stack of books on her bed!

 

Chris, you daughter's bed sounds just like Nathan's, though I'm still waiting on getting a bookshelf. My mom's going to make me one from the Pottery Barn catalog -- the flat ones with dowels across the front to hold current books. My son's bed is a low loft, and it is level with the window. He has a plastic storage container on his bed for audio books from the library, and stacked next to them are his library books. Thankfully, he is small compared to a twin mattress considering all that is on his bed. :lol:

 

Ben's mattress is underneath, and his library books are placed vertically next to his toddler matress (believe it or not he's still on a toddler matress).

 

They also have a tall bookshelf in their room with picture books and audio books.

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Ooo, I'm going to do a post on the Gen board--Post a Picture of where your kids read!

Will you include yours?

sounds great--dd would love a loft--she adores sleeping next to the window, so she can see the moon and stars, and watch the squirrels during the day! lol

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Here's sort of how it breaks down here:

 

I have a Morning Meeting time for our Ambleside (and other) reading selections. I plan on this being an hour to an hour and a half and rotate titles through the week. So on Monday I might read from An Island Story, Aesop, and Shakespeare (Nesbit), and whichever poet we're reading. On Tuesday I'll read from 50 Famous Stories, and Lang's Blue Fairy Book. And so on, rotating through our weekly book selections and adding in a few of my own choices. That's our literature, history, and science (if we read from Burgess or Herriot). Oh and I read from the Vos Story Bible daily and try to read poetry daily.

 

Dad always has a pretty meaty chapter book going with them for before-bedtime reading, right now it's an E. Nesbit book, The Enchanted Castle. Sometimes that book overlaps with my literature lists, but not always.

 

I haven't really assigned any independent reading titles, though they do have times they're sent to find a book and read. They seem to read pretty broadly from science and history non-fiction book and easier chapter books on their own at this point.

 

But we may be a little sloppier about formal history and science than some folks. :D

 

Jami

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I don't have as much of an age gap between mine (20 months) as you do, so that makes a difference. I just know that my boys at age 3 would not have been able to sit and listen to a 4-year-older siblings books. At age 3, my boys enjoyed listening for 10-20 minutes at a time to picture books and stepped readers. While I wasn't homeschooling yet at that time, we usually read several times during the day -- a short time in the morning; a little longer after lunch to give everyone a chance to settle down; and then in the evening -- curled up in bed together, but often when they were in the bathtub! They really enjoyed playing with bubbles and watertoys and listening to a story, and it kept me from getting bored while making sure my little guys were safe in the water. : )

 

 

Once we started school, we broke reading into short chunks, scattered throughout the day. The times I list are variable -- shorter when they were younger, longer as they got older.

 

1. First Thing In The Morning

5-15 minutes, me reading aloud whatever misc. reading (poetry, for example) during our start the day "together time" (sometimes this was every morning; sometimes just 2-3x a week).

 

2. Mid Morning

Each child separately, while the other child worked on some solo work -- 10-30 minutes (per child) together aloud "popcorn reading" (you read a page, I read a page) of whatever book was just a bit above their reading level.

 

3. Just After Lunch

As a way of easing back into the afternoon work, I read aloud 20-30 minutes, from our history or science (in those early elementary years, you can alternate history and science days).

 

4. Bath Time and/or Bedtime

20-30 minutes family curled up together, for fun books, interesting lit. book, etc. I've never used this as "homework" type of books.

 

 

For any assigned solo reading, depending on the season/weather and any other extracurriculuar events, the boys would either do that in the late afternoon after they'd had a break from doing school, or at bedtime before they turned out the lights. I've never assigned more than 2 hours a week at most, and that's been at the middle school level.

 

 

 

Hugs and encouragement to you, Jessica -- I think that your situation is very different -- and a lot tougher! -- than ours was. You have a girl as your older child, and she is physically 4 years older -- but because girls tend to develop lang. arts wise early than boys, she's probably more like 5 years older. You're going to be hard pressed to figure out what read alouds will work for *both* children simultaneously. Picture books and gentle stepped readers might work as a compromise for some history and science.

 

And you may need to be careful about overloading both your children; there are SOOOOO many great books out there -- I finally had to get to the point of just reading them myself, and picking the ONE that either one or both boys would really enjoy and benefit from, and slip the others into a book basket. Sometimes they read them; often they didn't; I just had to learn to let it go. I eventually realized that, while they enjoy reading, they are never going to passionately LOVE it the way I do; and that while I LOVE learning; they tolerate it. (lol) So I've had to learn how to balance our various personalities, require what really is needful, and let go of a lot. And they sometimes surprise me and really get into a book on their own and follow a personal passion for awhile.

 

Anyways, that a long rambling aside. BEST of luck in figuring out what works best reading-wise for YOUR family! : ) Warmest regards, Lori D.

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I'm not very organized:

 

DH reads the girls a bit of a book of his choosing at night right before bed. He also reads a bible stories. This is a highly anticipated part of the day by all!!!

 

I try to read something short and sweet during lunch. Currently it is Fifty Famous Stories Retold by James Baldwin.

 

In the afternoon, dd7 choses whatever she wants to listen to on her IPOD. The beauty of that is, I chose everything on it!!! Laura Ingalls Wilder, George Macdonald, Lucy Maud Montgomery, Arabella Buckley, Thornton Burgess, Beatrix Potter etc. Most of the books are from librivox.org which I highly recommend.

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We mix it up to maintain interest, too. We tend to read for an hour or two at a time and combine readings for Bible, history and lit (which also includes poetry at times), science, and sometimes art or music appreciation, as well. I always read from a combo of shorter, picture books, and longer, chapter books.

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I've done different things at different times. Recently this is what is working well for us:

 

I alternate reading aloud history or science or Bible with work the kids have to do on their own (handwriting, spelling, reading etc...) I also do lit. read-alouds before bed. Sometimes we do Bible at breakfast. I do poetry on Tuesdays for "tea time" with a snack.

 

Merry :-)

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We have a read-aloud time after morning tea break which is usually history or science related (eg SOTW, Apologia Zoology.) I also do some literature read-aloud time at other stages during the morning with my younger children.

 

Then, in the afternoon, we have another read-aloud time incorporating a chapter from current history story or bio, poetry, and an indefinite amount of reading from whichever book we are reading for fun. Some days I may only read one chapter of our lit book, other days more. I usually give out before the kids do.:)

 

Sometimes we have a different read-aloud happening at night but more recently that has been more for the older dc after the youngers are in bed. It sounds like a crazy schedule when I put it in print :001_huh: but it kind of works out in reality. I do tend to have a number of books on the go, and some books will only get read once or twice a week, but I find this good as it allows us to 'live' with the book longer and the kids seem to keep up quite well with the different story lines.

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I read a lot. Is that a strategy? Okay I do have a grand plan for the reading.

 

First thing in the morning, I dig out the pile of books to be read for the day - a little science or history, a little literature and if it is poetry day, a collection of poems. I have the youngest get a couple of books that she wants me to read to her during school. I also pull out the day's work.

 

 

  • While I am drinking coffee and the girls are eating breakfast, I will read our literature selection.
  • Next, I do math with the middle child. After math, I read a story to the youngest if she is still at the table. We rotate like that for all of the seat work .
  • Next, we sit on the couch for a history or science reading.
  • The next block of reading comes in the afternoon when the middle is assigned reading time, and I work with the youngest on something or we do laundry together. This reading is either literature, a chapter book, American history reader, CLP Nature Reader, or free choice depending on the day of the week.
  • On our poetry day, we pass a poetry book around during lunch and everyone including the oldest reads poetry. Some days this drags into me reading poetry for a hour or more or the kids trying to memorize the poems or reciting what they already know.
  • At night we have bedtime reading for about an hour. Youngest picks two stories and middle picks either a story or two or a nice meaty chapter book. DH and I have different days that we read to them and they have each of us reading different books. Youngest typically falls asleep while we are reading to the middle. After we are done reading, middle is free to either listen to an audio book or read until she is ready to sleep.

 

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With my oldest, I read aloud about 1 hour per day for History (we try to have at least one historical novel per History Odyssey lesson) and 1 hour at bedtime. With my youngest, I read about 1/2 hour each morning and at bedtime, and we sneak picture books in when we can.

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For a few months early in the homeschooling journey we began to read something completely unrelated to school at the beginning of the day. We would gather on the sofa and read Winnie the Pooh. It would get our minds focused on listening and learning instead of all the other distractions of the day. It even worked for me too! It was a great transition moment-even if just for 10 or 15 minutes.

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