For parents that don't outsource

[mom2kando]

Half of their subjects. When do you find time to do read aloud? We do cc and the memory work we integrate into subjects during the week, it takes maybe 15 min a day. I only have 2 (4th and 2nd) and between math, reading, writing, history/geography/science (we alternate days) I can't find the time to read aloud. Can some of you share your schedules if you have had success with this? Tia!

[maize]

We do audiobooks.

[snowbeltmom]

When my kids were the ages of your kids, I did the read alouds at bedtime.  I read to my D, and then I read to my boys together.

[regentrude]

When my kids were younger, we read before bed.

But in elementary grades, school should not take more than 3 hours.

[Elizabeth 2]

Immediately after lunch. It started as a way to keep 2 lively boys from being so loud as to keep DD from getting to sleep. I read with her in my arms, and it was over when she was asleep. That meant if the boys had other things they wanted to do, they had to be quiet to make it happen faster. They did enjoy it, but on those off days, they realized a tired little sister was much worse for them than waiting for her to sleep.

 

I have also just done it at bedtime. Two boys, same room, and a backlit kindle. Or an audiobook and a Bluetooth speaker connected to my phone so they had no control and when it was over, it was over. They wouldn't sit for an audiobook if not in car straps or in bed in the dark.

 

Both options have happened at various times at our house and I have adjusted according to the needs of the rest in the house or if I think the book is boring. :D

[Critterfixer]

I used to read aloud just after breakfast when the boys were younger, and now we mostly read together right before bedtime. My boys are thirteen now, and bedtime read-alouds are still kind of a thing. :001_smile:

I have nothing outsourced.

[mom2kando]

Okay, this is really encouraging. We do read at bedtime for about an hour. I hadn't even figured that in since it wasn't school "time"

[frugalmamatx]

I don't. DD prefers to read it herself and then we discuss. I am all for it because between asthma and a speech problem, read alouds were a nightmare. 

[Garga]

I used a 6 day cycle of classes. Instead of getting our subjects done over 5 days for 36 weeks, I do it over 6 days for 30 weeks. It's still 180 days of instruction, but I could spread my classes out over 6 school days. I did NOT work on Saturdays.

 

I labeled my cycles as A day, B day, C day, D day, E day, and F day. I divvied up my subjects among the 6 days. After a weekend, I'd just pick up on whatever day we left off. So if this Monday is an A day, then next Monday would be an F day. Then the next cycle would start over with Tuesday being an A day again.

 

I tell you this because then I could do the subjects spread out an extra day and could have more time for things like read-alouds every day. About 80% of our subjects were done daily, but the rest could be done 2 or 3 or 4 times a cycle.

 

It's hard to explain, but it worked out really well. Some subjects like art and music were done only once a cycle, so instead of 36 art or music lessons there were just 30. But I was ok with that for those types of subjects. I used the 12 lessons I "lost" in art and music to devote to other things, like read-alouds.

Edited January 21, 2017 by Garga

[Homebody2]

We read aloud together at bedtime, too. Kids are 4th and 2nd. It's still one of our favorites times of the day.

[SebastianCat]

At those ages, I read aloud during breakfast and lunch, and ate my own meals before or after the kids, while they did seat work.

[borninthesouth]

Audiobooks... In the car... On the way to the activities.  We barely get science in.  

[HomeAgain]

I read over lunch.  I get a captive audience that way. ;)

[ALB]

We've done read alouds over lunch or snack time.  The downside is that I miss the leisurely eating/ chatting part of lunch.  Lately I've just been doing it after we're done with everything else in the afternoon.  The downside of this is that they just can't wait for me to finish so they can play outside.  

[ScoutTN]

I read over lunch.  I get a captive audience that way. ;)

 

 

Me too! Ds is not wiggling (as much) and Dd is not talking. 

We also read to Ds at bedtime and we love audiobooks.

[Another Lynn]

I do it first or else it won't happen.

[Alice]

We read fun books at night before bed. We listen to audiobooks in the car. Sometimes I read at lunch. 

 

It sounds like you are more asking about "school" read-alouds than "fun" read-alouds? At younger ages, reading aloud was a large part of what we did for science and history so I would just do it as part of the day. Reading is really the main way we learn (by we I mean our family not necessarily the larger "we"). With younger kids that means reading lots of picture books about different topics. For older kids it might mean reading a chapter book together. For my oldest, it means us both reading the same book and then discussing it together. 

[LindaOz]

I read aloud to everyone after breakfast/chores. Then everyone goes to own work.

 

Then I read aloud again after lunch.

 

My youngest two get read to separately either sometime in the morning or at quiet time in the afternoon.

[Arcadia]

I outsource read alouds to my husband. He has an expressive reading voice and he doesn't mind as long as he gets to stay put at one spot. He does the readalouds after dinner. When my husband is not free, we do audiobooks.

 

For music history, we listen to the local classical music radio channel. One of the time slot was Saturday morning.

[Momto6inIN]

We do about 10 minutes during our "morning meeting" of misc different materials, then 1 chapter/day of our current novel during lunch when they're a captive audience. :)

[Homeschoolmom3]

It seems you got great ideas on how you get all the reading in!  We do a bit of all that was mentioned. 

 

I find at least 30min. each day to read with my K usually after lunch time and sometimes we get longer depends on the day.  Then we also do read alouds during breakfast and lunch. We also read 30 min. before bedtime and also we listen to read alouds in the car when we are driving to lessons or activities, etc.  It adds up!

 

For my older kids, (yes we still do read alouds) I have a morning/meeting time with them that lasts about an hour where we do reading together and a little memory work, etc.

 

It is amazing how little chunks of time will really add up!  :)

[Ellie]

Okay, this is really encouraging. We do read at bedtime for about an hour. I hadn't even figured that in since it wasn't school "time"

 

Oh, we read aloud not because it had anything to do with "school" but because I wanted to read aloud to them. :-)

 

I also read to the dc right after lunch, but only one chapter a day, not for a specific amount of time. I wanted us all to be wide awake when I read aloud, which is why we didn't read at bedtime. :D

[regentrude]

Okay, this is really encouraging. We do read at bedtime for about an hour. I hadn't even figured that in since it wasn't school "time"

 

When you homeschool, any time is "school time". They don't just learn from 9 to noon.

[MyLife]

Lunchtime and Bedtime

[Guest]

The first thing for school, the last thing for school (if one has finished before the other, he comes back down to hear the story) and either at bedtime, or if we are going to watch a show together when dh gets home, over dinner. They're just built into the day, so all three reading times get hit on all regular school days at home, and at least one other time if we had something going on away from home, too.

[SparklyUnicorn]

I did it first thing. It was one of my favorite things to do so maybe that's why I never had trouble fitting it in.

 

I still read aloud to the 6th grader.  The 9th grader, not so much anymore

 

 

[SilverMoon]

If you're taking all day with two littles and even alternating the content subjects, gently, perhaps you're doing too much.

 

When mine were all little math and language arts were usually all done before lunch. After lunch was a family wide quiet time (ala SWB) and then we did science and history. I also took a bottom up approach. The 4th grader would have been kickstarted on his independent work while I worked directly with the little one. There I'd target the mom-heavy lessons until they were down to mostly independent and doing their math work at my elbow. Then I'd turn my attention to the 4th grader and start with their mom-heavy work. The little one was kept close enough to keep an eye on and ran off to play when done. Read alouds were in the together time after lunch and/or later in the day.

 

This year I have a pair a year behind yours. I'm still doing bottom-up. Their curricula is all set up so that they can get nearly any of it out and run it themselves, in the same room I'm in. The little guy is very mom-heavy, but he can do his math lesson alone after I've taught it. By alone I mean at my elbow and not truly independently. The 3rd grader gets her work out and plugs through asking for help as needed. (Same "alone") There's a family wide time after lunch where read alouds happen, and I read to these two for history and science constantly. Occasionally before bed there will be more read alouds, but that's mostly everyone's free reading time.

 

I'd look carefully at your curriculum and reduce/delete busywork or unnecessary repetition from your regular schedule. One of the biggest drains on our days were those "little" subjects that are good things to work on and don't take much time. They require transitions, new materials, and became frivolous time sucks. Off the top of my head, penmanship and vocab bit the dust early on. I required their writing to be neat in the things they were already writing and good literature made vocab work redundant.

 

Meal times are good read aloud options too. Captive audience.

[knitgrl]

I periodically read to the kids during breakfast or lunch. Reading aloud would probably happen more often if I was more consistent with that.

[2_girls_mommy]

This year:  9th and 7th grader and 2 yr old:

 

School's ideal schedule:

8-9 math

9-10 20 min Spanish for 12 yr old, then journal time. 14 yr old: writing

10-11 latin

11-12 English/spelling for one, English/history for the other

1:00 read alouds/silent reading/history We read aloud 2-3 days a week. They pull out timelines and fill in as we read from a variety of fiction and non as we go. 1 day they do work on their own.  I try to get the toddler settled in for nap, so we can focus during this time.

Science reading/notes/home labs in later afternoon.