Flowergirl159 Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 My older two read for over an hour each day, independently. I assign books for them from various booklists: Sonlight, Heart of Dakota, Ambleside Online. Is it enough to have them just read and enjoy? Should I have them narrate each book to me? Or perhaps have a list of questions for them to answer? I know that they have no trouble with comprehension, it is more for discussion purposes or helping them to get as much out of book that they can. I just wonder if they are reading too much without absorbing and enjoying the books. They both love to read and read more than this one hour each day. This hour is where I assign their books. The rest of the time they choose the books. We do a lot of read alouds too where we discuss themes and characters, but I feel I don't do this enough with their independent readers. Do I need to change it up or just let them go for it? I want them to enjoy the books :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 IMO it is more than enough. Let them read & enjoy them. Occasionally discuss a book and maybe just talk about things you liked or didn't but personally I'd do it casually, not as a big formal lesson. Just talk, ask questions, be legitimately interested and engaged in their books and let them talk about them with you. Loosely run book clubs are fun for the older elementary kids, if you can get a smallish group, to just talk a bit about the books. you could try to gently structure by giving some set questions to help them organize their thoughts. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 At 10, 8 and 6? YES. One doesn't have to analyse a book to enjoy it. OTOH, some of the most powerful books are ones that can be re-read when you are older--that have different levels of meaning. Make sure they have a few of those sprinkled in there. They can enjoy them now and dig deeper later, when their minds have developed the ability to be more analytical and they have the life experiences to make more connections. For now, you bet you want them to enjoy books! That is a great goal!! 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie in Ma Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 I'm in the "let them read and enjoy" camp. Especially those being read for the first time. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aprilleigh Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 Agreed. If you make it like schoolwork it becomes work instead of play. You want them to enjoy reading for its own sake, not as a means to an end. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 Yes. Making them answer lists of questions is the surest way to kill joy of reading. Let them read and talk about the books. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mystie Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 Yes! I let my boys do that from the time they could read and it's been great for us. I'm starting 7th grade now with my oldest, and both the 12yo & 10yo (who have been reading for enjoyment from the time they were 5) are knowledgeable, can have conversations about anything, and are interested in a huge variety of subjects because they want to read anything they can get their hands on. Now, in 7th grade, I'm adding more structure and having him write about his assigned reading, but I fully plan to continue the "read widely for enjoyment" plan for all the others until 7th grade. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heatherwith4 Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 Yes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justasque Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 My older two read for over an hour each day, independently. I assign books for them from various booklists: Sonlight, Heart of Dakota, Ambleside Online. Is it enough to have them just read and enjoy? Should I have them narrate each book to me? Or perhaps have a list of questions for them to answer? I know that they have no trouble with comprehension, it is more for discussion purposes or helping them to get as much out of book that they can. I just wonder if they are reading too much without absorbing and enjoying the books. They both love to read and read more than this one hour each day. This hour is where I assign their books. The rest of the time they choose the books. We do a lot of read alouds too where we discuss themes and characters, but I feel I don't do this enough with their independent readers. Do I need to change it up or just let them go for it? I want them to enjoy the books :) At 10, 8, and 6, yes, yes, yes. If you've got self-directed readers, your primary job as a homeschooling mom is to make sure they have continued access to quality literature and non-fiction on themes and topics that interest them. One approach I used is to make regular visits to a well-stocked library, allowing the children to take out as many books as they wanted. While they were looking for books, I did the same, selecting a variety of books on current interests (as well as building on them - for example, books on Antarctic explorers if penguins was a current interest). I chose a variety of reading levels on the same topic, and sometimes threw in a video or audio book. I then put these materials in our huge "library basket", so that a child looking for a new book to read had plenty from which to choose. There will be plenty of time as they get older to do more formal study of literature. For now, you are building a foundation of equal parts love of reading, experience with a wide range of genres and themes, and exposure to well-written English. For kids who are passionate about books, while it is always a balance, this foundation is much easier to build through self-directed reading assisted by thoughtful mentorship, than through more school-like methods 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minerva Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 Another YES! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caviar Posted June 18, 2015 Share Posted June 18, 2015 Thank you for asking your questions, and thank you to everyone who answered with a yes. OTOH, maybe sprinkle in a little bit of literary analysis with a book you may read out loud by using a book like "Figuratively Speaking." Just familiarize them with the language of literary analysis and discuss, but don't pick a book apart - that's a great way to kill the desire to read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flowergirl159 Posted June 29, 2015 Author Share Posted June 29, 2015 Thanks so much for your encouragement! I will continue on the path we are on: 10 and 8 year old - reading for the pleasure of it and discussing with me only if they decide. Once they move to high school, this will gradually change. My 6 year old is still learning to read so she doesn't have a set time to read on her own at this stage. Thanks again, I will continue to supply them with great literature :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hjordan423 Posted June 29, 2015 Share Posted June 29, 2015 Yes, what a blessing! And if you're not familiar with it, check out readaloudrevival.com. It has some really fantastic podcast interviews with lots of great people. I'm always so excited about what I learn on those, so I pass it along whenever possible! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hyacinth Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 Another plug for the Read Aloud Revival podcasts here. I've been enjoying them on my walks the past few weeks, and I always come away with a little nugget of encouragement (or another book title to add to the list :)). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HS Mom in NC Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 Yes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Targhee Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 Multum non multa I would choose a single book (maybe each month) to have a discussion about. You may preface the discussion with some thought provoking questions and have your reader find places in the book that answer or inform the questions prior to the discussion so that you can carry on a nice conversation. For the rest of the books just let them read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MinivanMom Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 YES! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsuga Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 My older two read for over an hour each day, independently. I assign books for them from various booklists: Sonlight, Heart of Dakota, Ambleside Online. Is it enough to have them just read and enjoy? Yes. Should I have them narrate each book to me? No. Or perhaps have a list of questions for them to answer? No. I know that they have no trouble with comprehension, it is more for discussion purposes or helping them to get as much out of book that they can. I would treat "reading comprehension" as a totally separate skill regardless (I understand you have said they don't have that problem but even if they did). It's really more critical thinking, and standardized test reading comprehension is much more about understanding how the tests are set up, than reading the text. I would let them share the books with me but more important is that they themselves love the books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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