Need advice on read alouds with multiple age dc

[extrafor6]

Read alouds are everyones very favorite part of our day, but here is what I wonder about...I feel like my youngest will miss out on all of the great books that we read aloud now or have read aloud already. For example, we just finished Understood Betsy and my dd9 and dd7 loved it. My dd5 didn't really understand that much of it and I'm sad she'll miss out on this great book...unless she reads it herself somewhere down the line. Likewise with all of the books I read aloud to my oldest when she was in K and 1st.

How do you choose books that the younger ones will enjoy and do you ever cycle back around with the books. FYI, I use Sonlight and HOD as a guide for our read alouds.

Thanks!!

[Tawlas]

I read aloud to my 5 yo, and my nearly 3 yo gets nothing (besides a chance for some trouble lol) out of them. But I figure that either my ods won't really remember them and I'll re-read them, or my ods will do osme independent work and I'll reread them to yds specifically.

 

By the time your youngest is 9, your other kids will be 11 an 13! You can read it to her at bedtime (assuming it will be earlier) or while they do independent work. Keep a list.

 

On top of that, there are sooooooooo many great books. Even if you read to them every day all day, you probably wouldn't cover them all. If you or she doens't manage to reread them, there will be plenty of other great one!

[3Blessings]

I have a similar concern with read alouds. Ds8 loves read alouds and is a real "boy" kwim? Dd6 is a very advanced reader herself. Dd4 is just starting to enjoy the read alouds.

 

To whom should I aim??

 

The place I have come to is this: pick books that could appeal to all, specifically pick books that I think will interest ds8, spend time talking to dd4 about the major action in the story.

 

Dh and I take turns with read alouds. My dh picks a book to read (which usually would appeal to my son in particular) and then I pick a book to read. With that process in place, I usually talk to my dd4 about the read aloud directly after and ask questions and we may talk about what was funny or interesting. Dd6 usually wants to add to that, too. They don't need to understand every detail. I just want dd4 to have some dots connected.

 

I have also come to realize that I may have to do a repeat read aloud when dd4 is older. That is ok . . . some of those books are good friends of mine!

 

HTH

[NancyNellen]

I have 5 children from 5 to nearly 15. We just read all sorts of books and frequently revisit family favorites. Currently we are reading A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 and God King. They are definitely over the head of my 5 year old, but he picks up bits and pieces, so I know it's beneficial. We read Winnie-the-Pooh and The Wind in the Willowsat least once a year and everyone loves it. I can remember reading it when my bigs were 4&5 years old. There is so much nostalgia in revisiting them!

 

I never worry that my kids will miss out, because if we happen not to revisit a certain book as a read aloud they will most certainly have the option of reading it to themselves down the road.

[extrafor6]

Nancy- I appreciate your response and it's good to know the kids don't get tired of hearing the same book read more than once. Do you still read aloud to your dc 15?

[NanceXToo]

Make a list of books that you want to ask your 9 y/o to read to your 5 y/o when your 5 y/o is 7 or 8 that you don't think you'll want to read again haha. (Hey, my 11 y/o LOVES reading aloud to her 6 y/o brother! Not that I don't read to him, too, I do, and I do with her as well. But that doesn't mean I will necessarily want to read every good book aloud AGAIN). :D Some of them you might be willing to go back and re-read aloud. Some of them you might want to put on a list that you don't think should be missed but you might not want to have to read again. Maybe one of the older kids will do it. ;)

 

With the difference in my kids' ages read aloud times are usually pretty individual rather than family read alouds, they're not at all interested in the same things!