How do i make the reading interesting?

[Jpoy85]

How do i make the reading part of SOTW 1 and Apologia Astronomy more interesting for C? Today was the first day we started them and of course that could be why, but she wasnt the least bit interested in the reading but rather the activities.

 

For Apologia we are doing what the notebook says, 2x a week reading a few pages a day. For SOTW we are reading each little section a day.

[Jpoy85]

I think ill just break it down into smaller chunks :)

[boscopup]

How old is C?

 

I found that both of those books were more interesting to my oldest son once he could read them himself. Before that, his eyes kind of glazed over. OTOH, my current 5 year old, who is nowhere near able to read those books, loved listening to Apologia Astronomy. I really thought it'd be over his head, but he picked up a lot from it. At least it has pictures! So I let him look at the pictures while I read. I haven't tried SOTW with him yet, as I do think that would be over his head (he's about to turn 6 and doesn't have a good attention span for long, complex read-alouds yet).

 

I remember trying to use Apologia at age 6.5 with DS1, and I had to break it up into way smaller chunks. There is so much info in one little spot. He was fine reading it himself, but when listening, it had to be kept very short. His listening ability has greatly increased since then (maybe part of that was our use of WWE!), and now he can handle some hefty texts just listening.

[sagira]

You could also have Jim Weiss read then out loud :)

[Jpoy85]

How old is C?

 

I found that both of those books were more interesting to my oldest son once he could read them himself. Before that, his eyes kind of glazed over. OTOH, my current 5 year old, who is nowhere near able to read those books, loved listening to Apologia Astronomy. I really thought it'd be over his head, but he picked up a lot from it. At least it has pictures! So I let him look at the pictures while I read. I haven't tried SOTW with him yet, as I do think that would be over his head (he's about to turn 6 and doesn't have a good attention span for long, complex read-alouds yet).

 

I remember trying to use Apologia at age 6.5 with DS1, and I had to break it up into way smaller chunks. There is so much info in one little spot. He was fine reading it himself, but when listening, it had to be kept very short. His listening ability has greatly increased since then (maybe part of that was our use of WWE!), and now he can handle some hefty texts just listening.

 

C is 6

 

You could also have Jim Weiss read then out loud :)

 

:lol: that would be easier wouldnt?

[Down_the_Rabbit_Hole]

Definitely break the reading into smaller chunks for Apologia Astronomy. I have dd read about 2 pages a day and tell me something interesting she read. This we write in the notebook. Each day gets a sentence or two but by the end of the week the entire notepage is filled. The 2nd week is all activities. I do some of the apologia ones and some from Jan Van Cleaves Astronomy for Every Kid book. I will admit, of all the Apologia books the astronomy is my least favorite.

[Jpoy85]

Definitely break the reading into smaller chunks for Apologia Astronomy. I have dd read about 2 pages a day and tell me something interesting she read. This we write in the notebook. Each day gets a sentence or two but by the end of the week the entire notepage is filled. The 2nd week is all activities. I do some of the apologia ones and some from Jan Van Cleaves Astronomy for Every Kid book. I will admit, of all the Apologia books the astronomy is my least favorite.

 

Yesterday we read pages 2-5 and did the Fascinating Facts page in the notebook. She remembered what we read about but those pages seemed like a lot. I cant do any of the projects right now because im waiting on the mailman to bring the Lab Kit ;)

 

I think SOTW was the worst to read so maybe breaking that down with help because she didnt really remember anything of what i read. " What is History? " - " I dont know " ---"what did i just read about?" - " I dont know" :001_rolleyes:

[Down_the_Rabbit_Hole]

Yesterday we read pages 2-5 and did the Fascinating Facts page in the notebook. She remembered what we read about but those pages seemed like a lot. I cant do any of the projects right now because im waiting on the mailman to bring the Lab Kit ;)

 

I think SOTW was the worst to read so maybe breaking that down with help because she didnt really remember anything of what i read. " What is History? " - " I dont know " ---"what did i just read about?" - " I dont know" :001_rolleyes:

Did you start the long term project yet? Maybe you can start this. Begin a journal for night time observations, go outside at the same time each night and look at the sky (even if it is overcast). Point out things for her to see. I found actually seeing the night sky and pointing out things made Astronomy more real for dd.

 

As for SOTW, my dd started this last year (she was 6/7 then) and she could not get it. Some kids cannot think ancient history yet, too abstract. We switched to American history and state study and it made a world of difference. Don't feel like you need to continue with a book if it is not meshing with your child.

[Jpoy85]

Did you start the long term project yet? Maybe you can start this. Begin a journal for night time observations, go outside at the same time each night and look at the sky (even if it is overcast). Point out things for her to see. I found actually seeing the night sky and pointing out things made Astronomy more real for dd.

 

As for SOTW, my dd started this last year (she was 6/7 then) and she could not get it. Some kids cannot think ancient history yet, too abstract. We switched to American history and state study and it made a world of difference. Don't feel like you need to continue with a book if it is not meshing with your child.

 

Ill try that idea for the journal. Im going to try again with SOTW. Maybe play around to see if we can find something that works for us.

[boscopup]

It was somewhere around chapter 11 or maybe even 15 that my oldest started to get into SOTW. He LOVES it now, but it was a bit tough for him at first. He was 6.5 when we started, and closer to 7 when it really got easy for him.

 

So yeah, break it down if needed, stop and discuss during the reading, and don't expect a LOT of understanding yet. If it's still bad after you've been using it for a month or two, switch to something else and try again next year. Some kids do better waiting a year or two. :)

[Chris in VA]

I know some folks who introduced each ch of SOTW with an activity. Could be fun!

You can also "preview" the text by asking your child to listen for an answer or two before you read.

 

And you can let them have the book to look for the answers.

 

I am of the opinion that, for such a young kiddo, just asking her to name one thing she found interesting or one fact or one idea about the text is enough for a narration. We didn't always use the questions in the AG, or even go as deep as the narration example in the AG. Sometimes we did, tho.

 

Sometimes I didn't have my child do anything with her narration, and had her copy a statement re the chapter section into her notebook, instead of scribing her narration for her. It took the pressure off. Of course, sometimes she did a really fine narration, and I wrote it down for her, or wrote it out and let her copy it. (When she was about halfway thru 1st, she began telling me her narration and then writing it down herself, but she still was copying it.)

 

Another note: I don't find Ancients to be any more abstract than American, myself. You look for connections to the child either way.

 

Some seem to concentrate on the differences between "Now and Then," and think that the further back in time you go, the more differences there are. Ancient history seems so intimidating! But really, there are plenty of differences in early American history, too. ;)--I think many times, the mom/teacher is more familiar with American history, having had more of it herself as a child, so it's natural to assume Ancients will be more difficult.

[thebacabunch]

My kids wouldn't listen to me no matter how theatrical I was, lol. Jim Weiss all the way!!! Our cds are treasures and the kids don't mind listening to them over and over again.