moonlight Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 do you all read aloud to your children? it seems like everyone does it! why do you read to your older child if he/she can read by his or her self?? i have read picture books to my boys and even easy chapter books. i read often to my 5 year old because he can't read. my 9 year listens to the book i am reading if he finds in interesting but i do not read to my 9 year old on his own. he loves to read and reads daily. he read a wide variety of books on his own and will happily ready most things i throw at him. we also listen to books on cd together all the time. i've heard the argument that they hear beautiful language that they might miss while reading to themselves. or do you read to your child because it is a good family bonding activity? i'm going to try to read longer books to my children and see how it goes. do any of you have ideas for read alouds for a 5 and 9 year old. i don't want to start with anything too long...a good easy read would be ideal in the beginning that would keep the 5 year old's attention but not bore my 9 year old.... thanks! seema Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KristenR Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 Yes, I think it's safe to say that pretty much everyone on this board reads often to their children. At least the vast majority. And yes, even after their child can read on their own. There is a Read Aloud Handbook that many people on this forum enjoy. It extols all the benefits to continuing a tradition of reading to your child. If you are looking for suggestions for read alouds, I would suggest checking out some of the forum member's blogs. Many of them, myself included, keep a running tab of books we've read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jpoy85 Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 I read to my 5yr old (not my 4yr old though). We just started Read Alouds. We started with Bean + Ivy Book 1. We read a chapter a night. She LOVED it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KristenR Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 Oh- and Angela over at Satori Smiles has a great Literature list here. So glad to see its up and working again! :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danybug Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 I read aloud to my kids all of the time. I always have. It is a wonderful bonding family time and we can also enjoy classics and good books, that might otherwise not get read. My ds is 11yo and he LOVES when I read aloud. We are working our way through the Narnia series and they are loving it even my soon to be 5yo dd. It is probably their favorite so far. A suggestion of something to start out with that I have is "The Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle Treasury". You can stop (if the kids let you ;) after each chapter and they are silly and entertaining. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nukeswife Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 I read aloud to my kids, not as much as I would like, but still more than anyone read to me when I was a kid. Once I started reading I was pretty much on my own. My oldest still enjoys a good read aloud, but not as often, so he isn't required to sit in on it if he chooses not to. My dd loves being read to and due to vision issues is only reading on a 2nd grade level, so being 10 years old I can read books that she's able to comprehend but can't read to herself quite yet. My youngest doesn't love to be read to, but does go in spurts when he wants me to read to him. I do it mostly because it's just something I've always done and they do enjoy it when I do, if they didn't then I'd stop. One of their favorites from the ages you mentioned was McBroom's Wonderful One Acre Farm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tammyw Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 We do a lot of reading aloud. My kids are 9 and almost 6. My 9 year old is a voracious reader, yet she still loves it when I read with/to her. It's great for so many reasons - sharing the love of a great book, being able to discuss the book together, just sharing the special moments of cuddling and closeness that comes with reading. It's also really helpful for them to hear proper pronunciation of words (at least in my case). Even though she's a fantastic reader, there are a couple words she will occasionally pronounce incorrectly while reading. I think hearing books read aloud helps with that. For me, it just creates a great bond with all of us. I try to pick books that I love, and then I'm just as eager to read as they are to have me read. I find it a very enjoyable time! Our home is constantly overflowing with books, and reading together just feels right. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidi Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 The best time to read aloud to my kids is when they are in bed so they have to lay there and listen. I bet your boys would like Homer Price. Its not too long. Or Doctor Dolittle, or fairy tales. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moonlight Posted May 5, 2012 Author Share Posted May 5, 2012 thanks for the book suggestions. i have a couple of them at home already so we will start with one of them tomorrow. i'll let them decide.. we all cuddle together when we listen to books on cd. i'm usually nursing my 6 month old...the arguments i see for reading to your child seem to apply for listening to a book on cd...but i'm convinced enough to try it cause it will be ME reading as opposed to a "voice" they are hearing. another issue i noticed when i have read a longer book is that i don't often remember what i have read!! maybe because it wasn't a book i was interested in?? seema Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 We just finished "Pinnochio" as a read aloud. I'm planning on reading aloud to my kids until they grow up and leave home. My oldest son, almost 9 years old, loves it. All my kids love being read to. And if they love it, and it's beneficial, then why quit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dinsfamily Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 Dh and I read aloud to all 4 of ours everyday (together and separately). My oldest devours books but still loves the time that I read to him. I was reading to my boys before they could read and didn't really think about continuing it until we started using SL. I also read Jim Trelease's Read Aloud Handbook and was impressed with his reasoning. I have seen a lot of benefits personally to read aloud even though my older two can both read very well. Here are some I can think of off the top of my head: We have a great time experiencing the books together. It is a good bonding experience. The majority of our read alouds come from SL, and even though I use a different core for each boy, they sit in on each other's books voluntarily. My oldest gets a little nostalgic listening to his brothers' stories and it's fun to see how much he's retained over the last few years. My 6yo just likes being with us no matter what is being read but has enjoyed many of his older brother's books on a shallower level. It's fun to share. Even though my oldest is a great reader, he isn't perfect. Hearing me reading aloud gives him more exposure hearing proper expression and pronunciation of less used words. He also practices this when he reads aloud to me which he does everyday. Now, both my 8 and 6yos are modelling reading for their brothers since they have their own reading sessions without me on occasion. We read books aloud that they might not have the motivation to read by himself. He does have a pretty deep appetite for literature (which I attribute to our read alouds) but we often attack books that seem boring. These days, I'll read the first few chapters and then he'll read the next few by himself because he is too impatient to wait until the next day. I doubt he would have made it all the way through Strawberry Girl if it hadn't been a read aloud but in the end, he loved it. I am SO excited start A Little Princess soon. It's another one I doubt he'd read on his own. On a different note, my 5yo can read at around a 2nd-3rd grade level and I wouldn't want to limit his literature to that level. Books just start getting good around that reading level. Most of what I read him is well above that. With all of that said, I don't think I'd force it on an older child. The point is for them to love literature not think of it as another thing mom makes sit through that I hate. In that case, I'd let them read it on their own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 We read aloud to both girls every night. I go for slightly higher level lit than what they can read on their own, or something that they wouldn't necessarily pick up by themselves. Right now it's Carry On, Mr. Bowditch. The girls love it and are seriously upset if for some reason we can't do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moonlight Posted May 5, 2012 Author Share Posted May 5, 2012 i've got to get the handbook that a couple of you mentioned. i'm excited to start reading a chapter book tomorrow and see where it takes us... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dinsfamily Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 i've got to get the handbook that a couple of you mentioned. i'm excited to start reading a chapter book tomorrow and see where it takes us... I hope you all have a good time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 (edited) Still read aloud to 18yo and 20yo DSs here! Now it is more because of the enjoyment of sharing books together. But we did all through homeschooling and for high school Literature. What benefits are there to reading aloud? - can introduce them to works above their reading level - helps children develop the ability to hold the details of the story in their minds from one day to the next (BTW, this is a skill that, if not developed by about age 12, is not going to happen; and this is critical for later on ability to analyze, for critical thinking, and for problem-solving in ANY area!) - encourages thinking about and family discussion of the book, or questions and bunny trail topics the book triggers - pick up/learn vocabulary naturally, in context (also more likely to remember it this way!) - hear the patterns, rhythms and vocabulary of wonderful writing (which the student can then mentally compare to when later doing own writing) - allows parent to participate in some interests of the children - shared family experience and building memories When DSs were young, we had an afternoon "quiet time" read aloud. But they also loved curling up in all together in DH and my bed at night. Start with a short time frame -- 10 minutes. Maybe read twice a day for just 10 minutes. Work up slowly. Stop as soon as they are restless, so read aloud time is not a chore. Allow "fidget toys" if that helps them keep interested (one of my DSs esp. needed that to focus on listening). Have fun reading in strange places -- up in a tree; in a (dry) bathtub with pillows and blankets; in a big appliance box turned on its side; under a table with a sheet over it to make a tent... To start, you might go with a collection of short stories: fairytales; James Herriot Treasury; Thornton Burgess animal story; tall tale collection; etc. Or go with something were each chapter is a fairly self-contained adventure: Henry Huggins; Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle; Farmer Boy; Billy and Blaze. As you build stamina, then branch out to books where the action continues from chapter to chapter. Here's hoping you enjoy your family read aloud adventures and make some wonderful family memories! Warmest regards, Lori D. Ideas to get you started that both a 9yo and a 5yo might enjoy: - Henry Huggins series (McCleary) - The Whipping Boy (Fleischman) - tall tale collection with Paul Bunyan, etc. - Miss Pickerell series (MacGregor) - Mrs. Piggle Wiggle series (MacDonald) - Mary Poppins (Travers) - Moomintrolls series (Jansson) - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Dahl) - Land of Oz -- OR -- Ozma of Oz (Baum) - My Father's Dragon (Gannett) - Peter and the Starcatchers (Barry) - Pippi Longstockings; Pippi in the South Seas (Astrid) - Kildee House (Montgomery) - Big Red by (Kjelgaard) - Gentle Ben (Morey) - Incredible Journey (Burnford) - Follow My Leader (Garfield) - Dolphin Adventure; Dolphin Treasure (Grover) - Rabbit Hill (Lawson) - James Herriot’s Treasury for Children (Herriot) - Farmer Boy (Wilder) - Velveteen Rabbit (Williams) - Rikki Tikki Tavi (Kipling) - Mr. Popper's Penguins (Atwater) - The Cricket in Times Square (Selden) - Charlotte's Web; Trumpet of the Swan (White) - The Rescuers, Miss Bianca, The Turret, Miss Bianca in the Salt Mines, Miss Bianca in the Orient (Sharpe) - fairytale collections Book lists: - Sonlight Curriculum (read alouds, by grade level -- you could pick ones from grades 1, 2, and 3 to hit on books for your age spread) - Ambleside Online Curriculum (booklists by grade; after about grade 5, these lists are for VERY advanced readers) - 1000 Good Books (by grade ranges) Edited May 5, 2012 by Lori D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 :iagree: What Lori said! Some kids don't love being read aloud to, but for most kids, I think parents stop too soon. I found that most middle schoolers secretly wanted to curl up and be read to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
---- Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 Yes, I do read alouds, though not as many as I'd like. I've had a 2 year old this year. :tongue_smilie: But he's getting better, and now I'm doing more read-alouds. My kids LOVE it when I read to them. My oldest reads at a middle school level, but he still enjoys me reading to him. He can hear proper pronunciation of new words, and it's also good to just build up his listening skills. One book my 5 year old loved and seemed to understand (despite many chapter books going over his head) that your 9 year old might also enjoy was Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. Another one we read that the 5 year old seemed to enjoy was The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. A lot of chapter books I read go over my 5 year old's head, but I make sure I read a lot of picture books to him also. He loves picture books! Actually, even my almost-8 year old will sit through picture books, but I don't know if he will when he's 9. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LMD Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 My kids love being read-aloud to! I don't plan to stop any time soon. My oldest is a very capable reader, but we still enjoy reading aloud. We often have a few books on the go at once, 2 that I read over lunch (alternate days - atm it's Dr. Dolittle Monday-Wednesday, Pilgrims Progress Thursday/Friday), 1 that I read to my sons (we started Peter Pan but I'm not sure yet if we'll continue, might save it for when they're a bit older...) and 1 that I read to my daughter - we're just about finished The Secret Garden. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 I've just finished reading the My Father's Dragon trilogy to my nearly 4 and 6 yr. olds. They loved it. Each story is about 10 chapters, but they're such kiddo-friendly stories. Next up is Little House in the Big Woods... We prefer to read chapter books after lunch, when we have more time. We save short, picture books (child-chosen from the library) at bedtime, when we're shorter on time or rushed. We also do books on CD in the car. We just finished Charlie & the Chocolate Factory that way (though we also read it several months ago, it was fun to hear again.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heidirenata Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 DH and I read aloud to our DDs 5 and 7 for all the reasons above and because it's an amazing shared family experience. Not only are DDs listening to books beyond their reading ability but we also discuss them as a family which provides a basis for future literary analysis, including examining authors' worldview and how it impacts their writing. We ask thoughtful questions about the writing, the author and even the illustrations (something you miss out on with audio books) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie Smith Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 We do. I always have a book or two on the go. My husband almost always has one on the go. We also usually have a audio book on the go. My eldest is reading now. :) He is almost finished "Talking to Dragons". Even assuming he is a reader it will be years before his reading level is the same as his listening level. Reading books together also lets me talk and comment on them during the reading. I admit it also gives us something to do. I would be hard pressed to fill the vacuum of time left if I was to do away with reading aloud to my boys. Mind you we do spend a lot of time reading books out loud and listening to audio books. I fully except to keep reading to my boys for years. Many years. As for book recommendations. What has your eldest enjoyed reading to himself. Is there anything he is interested in subject wise? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiegirl Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 Imo, read alouds are the best part of homeschooling. I hope we never stop. We have family read alouds plus I read a chapter book to each child. My reasons for read alouds are not so much for bonding as it is for sharing and for providing a safe place. To be able to share a well-written, exciting book is the best thing in the world. I love to see my children possess the same excitement for books that I have. I don't necessarily think this would happen if they just read on their own. It would with my dd because she has always been a strong reader but my ds has mild dyslexia. It took him a very long time to be able to show any interest in a book. Now, he is reading quite a lot on his own, I don't know whether this would have happened if we didn't read alot to him. Also, I am finding that when my kids are having a rough day or a difficult life period, they ask to read with me. Reading with mom has become a safe place to regroup from life's difficulties. Recently, my oldest was having a very difficult day. She came to me in tears, asking me to please read to her. "I just need to get lost in a book right now and feel close to you at the same time.' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ALB Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 One of my very favorite things to do as a mom/ homeschooler is to read books to my kids! It's the favorite part of our day for all of us! We read several books during the day, and then dh does a different read aloud with the kids at bedtime. I don't plan to stop this as long as we have kids in the house! (Actually, even dh and I occasionally enjoy reading a book out loud together. Those have been some of my favorite memories, too.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamatohaleybug Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 We have a 9 year old DD and we read aloud every day. My husband does most (all, lately) of the nighttime reading since I do so much during the day. The three of us take turns choosing the books but only after I select a group to choose from. :lol: We choose them for their moral or literary value. It's a beautiful tradition and one we aren't even close to being ready to give up. We all snuggle up in my bed and read before my DD goes to bed. Wonderful bonding time. Sometimes my DH and I read aloud to each other, too. Great times! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tasia Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 I'm going to admit that we rarely read to our kids who can read. I read to my 4 year old every afternoon and Dh reads to him at bedtime. Dh will occasionally read to my 8 and 9 year olds at bedtime, but they usually prefer to read on their own. While I understand why some people love reading aloud and listening to read-alouds, it just isn't really for us. I absolutely hate being read to (and listening to audiobooks), and both of my oldest sons are the same way. We find it really hard to get "into" a book if we're not actually reading it. I will be reading to the younger boys more next year when I start homeschooling them, but I think it's unlikely that the older boys will be willing to listen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kubiac Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 Awesome post Lori, and thank you especially for the great booklist! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moonlight Posted May 6, 2012 Author Share Posted May 6, 2012 Also, I am finding that when my kids are having a rough day or a difficult life period, they ask to read with me. Reading with mom has become a safe place to regroup from life's difficulties. Recently, my oldest was having a very difficult day. She came to me in tears, asking me to please read to her. "I just need to get lost in a book right now and feel close to you at the same time.' how sweet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moonlight Posted May 6, 2012 Author Share Posted May 6, 2012 my older one loves the harry potter books, percy jackson, roald dahl...lots of fantasy type books, but i feel like they would be too much for the 5 year old.. the boys picked out captain pugwash today which was a short read. i read the whole book in about 20 minutes, but i liked the language. it was a start for us...we are going to start something longer in a day or two that takes at least two sittings, if not more... the younger one enjoyed it, but i often read picture books to him and he likes it...the older one said he didn't mind either way. the book selection might have been too young for him...but i already felt like the younger one wasn't able to follow the story completely...but we'll keep chugging along at this and see how it goes. seema Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LindaOz Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 We read aloud regularly. Even my teens still like it. We have a read-aloud time during the day, and sometimes at night as a family after dinner. My older two (17 and 15) like having an 'older-girl-read-aloud' on the go too. It's a great sharing and discussion time that they haven't grown out of - in fact they ask for it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iquilt Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 We read aloud all together, just not at night. We read together in the morning, all on the big couch, and are currently reading from the Chronicles of Narnia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lillehei Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 I might be the only loser here but I do not do read alouds. I am chronically and critically ill and it takes too much from me and anyway, I just don't like to do it anymore. Nor does my husband. My kids love to read on their own and I don't feel as if I am doing a disservice by not reading aloud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProudGrandma Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 I didn't have the time this morning to read all of the responses...but we read aloud to our kids (ages 11, 10 and 7)....one of the many benefits to doing this is to improve their auditory listening skills. This is something that is VERY weak in me. I struggled listening (and following along )to teachers and profs as an older student and I think if I had been "forced" to listen more than watch (TV, Movies, etc) that would have been easier for me. My kids can listen to SOTW audio CD's and other audio books and answer questions based on what they listened to...I would have never (and still have a hard time doing) been able to do that. I am thrilled that my children will be better off in this area for us taking the time to read aloud to the kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moonlight Posted May 6, 2012 Author Share Posted May 6, 2012 while i was on a roll, we started a new read aloud that should take longer...a thornton burgess book...the adventures of bobby raccoon... i think what convinced me about the difference between listening to a cd together or me reading is that i can easily stop and ask questions... oh and thank you all for the great book suggestions...i have a long list already... seema Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThreeBlessings Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 Maybe Charlotte's Web, Mr. Popper's Penguins, or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? :) I do read aloud to mine, ages 4, 10, and 12. It is a good family bonding time. Read alouds are their favorite part of school. One benefit of reading aloud is you can read above their reading level and discuss. They will gain vocabulary and learn from the discussions too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2_girls_mommy Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 Yes, I read aloud to my kiddos daily. I read to them constantly in fact. We enjoy reading together as a family. It is good bonding. We all have that common story that we are experiencing together. I have always read to mine, since they were tiny infants. It was always part of our routine. I just never stopped. I read to them from a novel or the Bible while they eat lunch because I eat faster than they do. I read to them every night from picture books and books about whatever history subject we are reading together. I listen to them read aloud at that time too. And for school I read aloud our history and science lessons. Sometimes in the evenings my voice is tired actually and I have dh do the bedtime reading for me :) He enjoys it too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penny from Tenny Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 We also do read alouds as a family (husband's home office is very nearby and sometimes I think he listens in!) and even though my oldest still at home in school is 14, he still enjoys it. As a matter of fact, don't tell anyone, this past year we read Pollyanna since we now have a little girl to add into the mix instead of just boy stories, and both boys, 14 and 11, enjoyed it very much. They asked for it everyday! I envision us doing read alouds for years to come. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thefragile7393 Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 I've been doing this since they were little. My son can read more than he lets on but he prefers to be read to. My kids love love love it and adore it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kolamum Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 Yes, of course we do! :D I read aloud to my children any book that catches my fancy. I don't care if they've read it before or not. Neither do they. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LindaOz Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 I don't care if they've read it before or not. Neither do they. :D :iagree: I tell my kids that a book worth reading is worth reading again ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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