How to find time for literature plus library books with lots of littles?

[mommytime]

I want to be able to read a lot of quality literature to the kids, but they also really want me to read their pile of library books to them, plus their other books like Berenstain Bears or Make Way for Ducklings, etc. When I take them to the library to pick up some books I have on hold, they'll end up with a pile of stuff to read. Last night they got some books on spiders, snakes, volcanoes, space, lions, amelia bedelia, etc.

 

I want to encourage them to read. I'm glad they're so excited about their books. (Though internally I go a little crazy because I have a great collection of science books at home, and they just want to read library books. Why on earth did I purchase these books then??):confused: The 7 year old was a late reader and is still only reading about level 1 or 2 books, so I have to read everything. But, I only have so much time in a day teaching them, nursing the baby, paying bills, housework, cooking, etc. If I read the Bible, a good book, a little history, some mother goose, a few board books for the 2 year old, I find that I'm struggling to find time to read their other mountain of books. (They do constantly listen to good books on CD at other times during the day, like Charlotte's Web, Winnie-the-Pooh, Jim Weiss, etc.)

 

I guess I'm looking for some practical advice, or a schedule of how to fit in a lot of read aloud. How do you guys do this? I'm sure I can't be the only mom whose kids bring home an armful of library books. How do you read literature, picture books, library books, and something for the babies, too? I can't wait till my kids are reading more independently! Oh, and I find it hard to read aloud while nursing the baby...she just gets upset and distracted and can't fall asleep.

 

I'm sure I just need more self-discipline...but thanks for any ideas!:001_smile:

[KAM]

We do our "school" read-alouds in the morning and then I try to do a half-hour or so reading library books with the 3 yo in the afternoon. She also gets to pick two books to read at bedtime. My older three tend to read their own library books, so I usually only read to them in the morning and again at bedtime.

 

Honestly, I would try not to feel too guilty. When I just had one or two kids,it was much easier to fit in the extra read-aloud times. I think my now 7 y.o. (third child) learned to read more quickly because I wasn't able to read to everything to him. He spent a lot of time studying the books on his own and picked up a lot that way.

 

If there's anyone else that can read to them, that's another great option. Dh reads to everyone at bedtime too, and often Grandma or an aunt or two will read a book while they visit.

[Briartell]

Audio books in the car (on the way home from the library, he he). :)

 

Plus I hire out my older kids to read to the younger ones. They love the easier words and they get to practice using animated voices. Win-win for all involved.

Edited March 29, 2012 by Briartell

[Sctigermom]

We read a lot here. I make a list of library books that I want the children to hear and then I let them pick 4-5 books each. We go to the library each week. We do FIAR so they get that book during school. I read to them while they play legos, play in the sandbox, ect. If I have things I need to do I'll put on an audiobook during these times and lunch. Sometimes I read to a child before breakfast. Dad reads to them after dinner and I read to them during their bath times. If we are out and about and have down time between places we sit in the car and read a book. None of my kids are reading on their own yet. Somedays I feel like I should get a job recording audio books!

[Julie Smith]

Mommytime, my Mom has the picture of your avator on her bedroom wall.

 

We read alot here. But I have only two kids, not 4. I consider reading outloud a must do. So if no other school gets down, that's okay. Between myself and my husband my boys listen to and discuss books over 20 hours a week.

[fruitofthewomb]

I could have written the original post-nursing baby and all! I guess I need to invest in audio books because it seems like everytime I get a minute to read to my oldest who is 6 something interrupts-poopy diaper, spilled drink, etc. I don't read nearly enough. DH is uncomfortable reading aloud but will in the evenings some. That is my biggest FAIL right now.

[Julie Smith]

DH is uncomfortable reading aloud but will in the evenings some.

 

At times it has been difficult to get my dh reading we (truly) I have tired many different things to fix this. I know you didn't ask for ideas to help DH get ready, but you will get them anyway so I can put off doing more chores.

 

1) Foot maintenance. While he was lieing in bed on his belly reading I would do the of so lovely job of giving the heals of his feet much need maintenance.

 

2) French and English picture books. I would get the same book from the library but two copies, one in French, and another in English. We would take turns. He would read a page in French and then I would read the same page in English.

 

3) I would try to find books that would work for him. Right now it is mythology books that do the trick. I can't read them well since I have trouble saying the various hard to pronounce names.

[Chelli]

Just so you know you are not alone. :D

 

I actually have a system for our library book reading.

 

Every week I choose 10 picture books for my dd4 (we are working through the preschool recs from the Read-Aloud Handbook), then she gets to choose 10 books as well. Total of 20 books.

 

Before dd8 could read on her own, she had the same limit. Now she chooses all of her library books herself, but I limit her to 10. I am not made of money and library books seem to never get returned on time at my house :tongue_smilie:

 

Every night the children who are not independent readers yet get to choose two books for me to read to them out of the 20 books that are theirs. That gives us 10 days to get through all of the library books.

 

I also have one chapter book read aloud (also taken from the Read-Aloud Handbook lists) that I choose to read to everyone (although my dd4 doesn't quite have the attention span for this yet!).

 

This system doesn't count what we read for school. This is strictly to control the amount of library books in our house and how many I read every day, but the books are kept in a basket for the kids to get out and look through whenever they like.

 

BTW, I have not found that controlling the library book explosion has led to any diminishment in their love of reading!

[sewingmama]

Well since we use the library for most of our books - our school books are our library books :001_smile:

 

My boys are still little so not really interested in choosing their own books from the library yet. I usually encourage them to pick out one or two. My DD has just started becoming interested in choosing her own books and takes her own library bag she fills to the brim:lol: - a lot of them she chooses just for the pictures so I let her borrow them for looking at - not for reading KWIM. She is only reading on a K level which means I still read all her books to her so after she has chosen I go through and censor some - yesterday she chose three huge Fairy Realm books which I never read to her because they are way to advanced for her and LOOONG -so I got her to put them back and choose something else.

 

I'm lucky that my kids are all close in age - so their book choices are all on the same level and their books choices are easier to share - I can read to all three at once (my DD is the only one who will sit through a chapter book so I read those to her exclusively although DS4 is starting to listen in more now).

 

My kids love books so much and learn so much just from listening to them that I schedule in a block of time every day just for reading. I don't limit what we read in that time -a few school books as well as library books that they have chosen - it's all the same to me.

 

I read a ton of books at bedtime -if we didn't get all the school reading done I sneak it in here but mostly it's just any random book the kids choose.

 

I read to my kids while they eat breakfast and lunch - I find it helps them eat more and make less mess ;)

 

If I see my kids all colouring or something I will grab a book and read it to them -my DD especially loves to colour while I read - she will listen forever if she is colouring. I find this is a good time for chapter books and it helps my 4 yo not to become bored.

[2squared]

I want to be able to read a lot of quality literature to the kids, but they also really want me to read their pile of library books to them, plus their other books like Berenstain Bears or Make Way for Ducklings, etc. When I take them to the library to pick up some books I have on hold, they'll end up with a pile of stuff to read. Last night they got some books on spiders, snakes, volcanoes, space, lions, amelia bedelia, etc.

 

I am sure you realize this, but the picture books are quality lit too. With a crowd of 7yo & under, I would focus on picture books. My 7yo still loves to listen to picture books, and it's some great cuddling time for all of us.

 

To answer the question about library books, though, my littles don't pick out library books. We have about three full shelves of picture books and a big basket of board books. They don't need any more options than that, and I am not willing to haul library books around that we probably won't read, will probably be returned late, and are probably not as high in quality as what we own.

[wintermom]

It sounds like you are already doing a lot. I found it a really tough season to do a lot of read-aloud with babies and toddlers in the picture. As soon as my youngest was 3, it became a lot easier.

 

Maybe you can:

 

- hand pick a few really good read-alouds you want to do with your oldest this year, and make these the priority for your valuable time.

 

- limit the number of library books your dc borrow so you don't feel guity if you don't read them all.

 

- relax and try to enjoy these precious years with babies and toddlers. They will grow up so quickly, and then you'll have lots more opportunities to read long into the day. :001_smile:

[Hunter]

I don't think you need to read MORE. I think you just need to read more of what YOU want to read. It's okay to leave the children longingly looking at the pictures in a book, that they chose but cannot read. It'll light a fire in them to learn.

 

My mom never had time to read to me (not her fault). At 4 years old I taught myself to read. I was desperate. I was living on a backwater island with no TV and nothing to do. I stared at the pages long enough and asked word by word until I memorized a page and then a book.

 

Just prioritize, not try to read more.