I'm curious, how much reading do *you* do with your children throughout the day?

[BizyPenguin]

Here's the situation...My ds 10 is a great reader, but he's not really crazy about reading. He does 30 minutes of free reading per day (which I require) plus he reads his lessons in ABeka science, and geography. (He's studying US state history this year and I require additional reading for this.) Anyway, this fall I really wanted to use TruthQuest history (living books), but I'm wondering if I'm going to be the one having to read the books to/with him. I really can't imagine teaching history with a textbook. (I hated history textbooks!) So I'm wondering how much reading you folks do with your children throughout the day. I do a read-aloud, but not much more than that. Perhaps we can tandem read. (He reads a page or two and then I read a page or two.) Would that be okay or should I make him do all the reading? Would I be better off using a textbook for history if there is a good one out there? Anyone?

[Guest Lorna]

At the moment we all do a lot of reading.

The children read, as part of school, for about forty to fifty minutes to themselves. This can either be historical fiction or literature they have chosen.

I read to my ten year old son forty-fifty minutes of a historical novel or Our Island Story. Sometimes he reads to himself. He is also quite an extrovert and likes to read aloud to me at other times. Then, he will usually read me a short story or from his science encyclopaedia.

I am reading from David Attenborough books for science. These can be an hour or more (they are a rich read).

I read them a bedtime story. This is normally their choice but I have negotiated with them that I get to choose next time (it is time for more Dickens and less Dianna Wynne Jones!).

Both children read to themselves in their leisure time in the mornings before maths and in the evenings and at bedtime. They read even more during the weekends. I only read to them from their bedtime story at weekends.

My son, especially, loves audio books too.

I like the flow of my reading aloud. I did use tandem reading when the children were younger but more as a reading exercise. I think the only times I would have them read aloud would be for the actual process of improving their skills in reading. For learning about history I would probably stick to silent reading or read-alouds. I wouldn't even mix these unless they have lost their way with a book.

[dragons in the flower bed]

When we were studying the same subjects, I read their history, geography and science aloud to them for about two hours a day. This year the boys are all studying different things. I stopped doing RA in part because I developed TMJ, a jaw condition that makes talking painful. Instead of reading aloud to them at night, they now listen to audiobooks for about half an hour in the a.m. and an hour and a half in the p.m.

 

Currently, I make DS7 read from a piece of children's literature I choose everyday, and read history, science and geography from living books every day for maybe 1.5 hours total. He thinks this is his choice, but if he wasn't amenable to my suggestions, he'd be required to do it anyway.

 

My partner's 10yob has the same deal, except he's realized he has no choice about the history reading. (He dislikes living books for history; he prefers the shortest, briefest paragraph about a subject over a whole book with lots of "irrelevant details.") He gets about three hours a day of assigned reading in the subjects and literature intended to stretch his reading level upward.

 

Both kids like to read, though; I don't know what I'd do if they didn't.

[Mrs. Readsalot]

I read aloud a living history book to him while he is eating breakfast and lunch. He loves it. We try to always have a read aloud going for the entire family in the evenings. We take turns reading.

[beansprouts]

I am trying to improve in this area. I recently scheduled an hour of reading time for 4th grade dd, and have been using this time to read aloud to 4 year old ds1. I am getting better about reading SOTW aloud instead of just handing dd the book. If I give ds1 a coloring page he will sit with us while I read aloud and usually picks up something from the story. For a while I was reading aloud to dd for a half-hour before bedtime. This was a nice bonding time for us, and I would like to get to get back to it. I have just been SO tired in the evenings...

[DIY-DY]

The boys each have their assigned literature reading to do each day, plus I read aloud our literature study (for instance, right now DS7 reads one short bio from More Days and Deeds; DS9 reads a chapter from Cat of Bubastes; I read to them from Celtic Fairy Tales). The literature study can take anywhere from 20 min to an hour, depending on the peripheral discussions that go a long with it.

 

9yo reads to himself, and is keeping a journal of the storyline to help increase his retention ;). He's not really *enjoying* this book, so I'll slip in and offer to read with him every couple of days, just to help it go a bit less painfully for him. We enjoy that time, even when the book isn't his favorite.

 

7yo pretty much reads aloud to me b/c he likes to read the exciting/interesting excerpts to me, and it seems most of this book is pretty darned exciting and/or interesting. LOL!

 

I read our history aloud (SOTW). This is short, also. Probably 20 min. 9yo generally has some supplemental literature assigned that correlates to our history, which he reads to himself and we discuss as he progresses. Usually we alternate between biography and fiction.

 

After lunch, they have free reading in their rooms for an hour while the small ones nap.

 

We have a book or two going for bedtime read aloud stories and free-for-all reading aloud. At bedtime, I read for about 45 min., and the kids have a deal where they get one minute of reading per year of age of each child. (I'm not some weird scheduling freak - blame that on my 9yo - it was his idea.) So right now, either before or after I read, we set the timer for 22 minutes (actually, I set it for thirty, but it's in the kitchen and he's happy to think it's 22 min.) for them to read on their own.

 

For a while, we got nothing read aloud b/c ds4 went through a screaming howler phase for about a year and a half. If I sat down to read, he felt that was his signal to scream and leap and cry. Then we had a year of peace. Now, he seems to think every third word out of my mouth needs some kind of commentary, question, response... and while I do try to encourage dialogue in general, the constant interruptions have raised my blood pressure significantly! :rolleyes: So, we aren't getting quite as much read aloud time as I'd like. I've got two more coming up after him, and so it probably won't happen for quite some time IRL the way I want in my head for it to happen. But that's okay. I'll sneak it in where and when I can.

[elegantlion]

My ds10 is a reluctant reader. We do a lot of reading aloud. We have read aloud time, science, and history. He does have his own reading time, which is usually tied to our history. I plan to continue with the literature read alouds, it's his favorite subject right now.

[OneRoomHomeSchool]

My goal is to read aloud TO my children for 2 hours per day. That will continue when the 12, 11 and 9 yrs begin homeschool too. Not all in 1 stretch, but 40 mins here, 40 there and 40 again....

[Jenny in Florida]

My daughter really enjoyed having me read aloud or tandem read with her right up until she started college this year. So, although she did the bulk of her reading in all subjects on her own, we usually had one history- or literature-related book that I was reading aloud. We also had a special read-aloud leading up to Christmas, and it was not uncommon for her to demand that I read aloud chunks of anything I was obviously enjoying. (Eats, Shoots and Leaves is the first example that springs to mind.)

 

My almost-10-year-old son, on the other hand, doesn't have a lot of patience for listening to reading aloud. He likes audio books for when we are in the car, but when he is not confined with a seat belt, he'd much rather be able to do his own thing. He reads well and quickly, and he seems to prefer to do his reading independently. I am still scheduling a couple of read-alouds this year, but we move through them very slowly.

 

Other than the current history/literature read-aloud, the only things I read with him are the comprehension exercises in English Prep (in we take turns reading paragraphs, and then he answers the questions orally) and, until he finished the course recently, a couple of lessons a week in his online math class. All told, it's maybe 15 minutes a couple of times a week.

 

--Jenny

[Donna T.]

I read to my Ker and 3rd grader for about two hours a day on "school days". On the week-ends, it's mostly just bedtime reading for 30 to 45 minutes. We are using Sonlight right now, so there is alot to read outloud. My oldest son is using the SL readers and other books on his own. I don't keep up with his reading (as far as time spent) because he likes to read and does so frequently throughout the day. With SL, I expect to be reading to them on a daily basis until they begin high school. Reading aloud is my favorite part of our homeschooling experience and one of the main reasons that I'm using SL again after using something else for awhile.

[Beth in Central TX]

Now that I have boy #3 in the mix, most of my read aloud time is done with him. He is not an independent worker, so I need to be with him whenever he's doing schoolwork. I also have to instruct my older boys which leaves little time to read aloud to them.

 

My older two love to read though so having them read on their own is not a big problem. I do still like to read aloud to them, but I usually do that during lunchtime. Right now that's the ideal time because everyone is doing the same thing and is relatively quiet (due to the food).

 

In addition, DH is reading aloud The Two Towers to the big boys at night and Treasure Island to the youngest. We've been busy so this is going very slow, but the boys love to listen to Dad on the couch.

[TengoFive]

I read aloud for about an hour each day. Whenever I can find a curriculum that comes with a cd, I latch onto it. The less I have to read aloud the better. Right now I read our Apologia Zoology 1 and Introduction to Classical Studies. I bought the D'Aulaire's Greek Myths cd so I don't have to read that part though. If only I could find FMOR on cd I'd be a happy camper. We listen to SOTW and I'll usually try to find audiobooks or Greathall CDs to go along with it. I'm teaching a 4th, 2nd, and 1st grader.

[Narrow Gate Academy]

I read aloud for about an hour a day as well between history, science, and literature. My kids also have an afternoon scheduled time for reading. We're using TruthQuest this year. I try to read aloud 1 book and discuss it with them. I also give them additional books to read on their own when I find apppropriate ones available.

[Michelle T]

DS does half hour of reading on his own each morning. I read literature, history, and science out loud.

 

But I am planning on having him take over more of the reading himself. The only reason I haven't done more already is his LD"s make it difficult. I will still read history out loud, but plan on having him do most of his science and geography readings himself.

Michelle T

[Alisa]

Hello!

 

I have used truthquest for the past 2 years with my dd12, ds10 and ds7.

 

Of course, it is all about finding out what works for your family but I can share with you what has worked for us! My oldest is not a funtional early riser and my 10 year old is not a proficient reader so I have combined both issues into a morning read aloud time. My 2 ds get up, grab breakfast and legos and my dd snuggles up in her blanket and we all meet by the fire (it is generally cold here most of the year). First we have a devotional time and then I read aloud from one of the books that I want all 3 of them to "read". My oldest is given supplimental readings that I require she present information to the rest of us but I have found that this morning reading time comes up all the time for conversation (in the car, at dinner etc). The total time for devotion and history reading is about 1 hour.

 

Again, it works for my family, but this wouldn't work for everyone. I hope you find a system that works well for you!

Alisa

[ABQmom]

I read aloud to my children at least 30 minutes a day depending on their ages. Since you are asking about your ds 10, I'll tell you what I do with my dd age 10. She reads silently for 30 minutes a day assigned reading. I assign historical fiction or biographies on her reading level as long as it corresponds with our history studies. If I can't find anything good for her to read corresponding with history, then I choose a good book for her to read.

 

She does read at other times things she has chosen (with my approval).

 

Our read aloud time is mostly historical fiction and biographies for the time period were are studying. In the summer, I choose just other types of literature and read aloud for about 30 minutes.

 

I wish I had more read aloud time for her, but that's all we have time for currently. I think reading aloud is very important.

[freethinkermom]

Once my children were capable of reading to themselves I did not read aloud to them for school. The reading is part of the school work. I have never understood the whole read-aloud phenomenon amongst homeschoolers. Before they could read a history or science book, we concentrated on reading skills almost exclusively (that was no later than age 4 for either boy). We do read-aloud for fun or if we are specifically working on oral presentation type skills. I will read a poem or short story out-loud to show how it should sound out-loud, not for content.

 

Both boys also spend several hours everyday reading for pleasure and both read exceptionally well. The idea that a person might not enjoy reading was never introduced to them.

[BizyPenguin]

The idea that a person might not enjoy reading was never introduced to them.[/quote

 

I never introduced this idea either, but my ds just isn't one to curl up with a book all on his own. My dh isn't either. I, however, am the exact opposite. I love books. I could live in a library. LOL! :p

[KYHokiemom]

We read

 

• bible all together in the morning - 15 min.
  
• history lesson all together (SOTW, MOH) - 30 min.
  
• science books from the library all together - 30 minutes
  
• 30 min. SSR independently - library books for the week (Mommy too!:))
  
• 30 min. of assigned reading - history supplements, literature
  

• Read - A - Loud at night as a family - 30 min.

  
  

   

  
  

• Independent reading in beds right before bedtime (Here dh and I trade off betwn. kids and read one on one with them. Dd7 and I are reading Little Women.)

The kids usually read in their rooms during nap/ quiet time, too. Weekends have more free time that we pour over books. In the past, esp. with a more demanding schedule with a nursing baby, I would use books on tape during lunch to cover our literature. Also, if I am busy with the baby, Ds9 will read some history/ science to the other children for me. HTH

[Nicole M]

I would have been completely shocked by freethinkermom's post, if I'd read it before I met Crissy last fall, who also does not read aloud and hates it. That was the first time I'd ever encountered anyone who did not enjoy reading aloud and simply just-said-no.

 

I remember a post here a long while back by someone here who didn't want to take away her daughter's pleasure in discovering a book on her own by reading it aloud. Another stunner for me.

 

I just generally feel that language is meant to be tasted, spoken, heard. (My dream job would be to get paid to be an audio book reader-girl.) We read aloud portions of The Wind in the Willows every year during Advent. I read Swallows and Amazons every summer. I'm reading again the Dark is Rising sequence to my youngest, who was a little young for it when I read it to his older brother. Wonderful!

 

You know, my youngest refused to read with his "eyeballs" and would only read with his ears until he was rather old. And then he went from Dick and Jane to the Hobbit in a matter of months. I still read aloud to my 16 yo, or he reads to me. It's our way of being together, our way of exploring together. Because, bottom line, I don't feel I'm a good teacher. But heck, any idiot can read a textbook or whatever aloud and talk through what they're reading. So in the morning, when I'm home with the boys, I read aloud almost continuously to one or the other. I go to work at 1 and they work on their own, ostensibly reading, quite a lot.

 

So, yeah. We read most of our work aloud. We also read "privately" as my youngest now calls it. Someone here once asked when we would stop reading aloud, and I don't think I said it, but I thought, "when I'm dead."

[WTMindy]

a half hour of something fun over breakfast. I usually read about an hour off and on of various school texts. Dh reads at least an hour in the evenings with the kids. In the summer we do more read-alouds.

[BizyPenguin]

I've enjoyed reading all of your responses and I'm going to borrow some of your ideas (i.e. audio book...We've never used them.) I'm also going to take advantage of our sluggish morning start to do some cozy reading in our pajamas. Thanks again!

[TammyinTN]

Even though we use A Beka DVD for school we do most of our assignments aloud. I read and go over his classwork with him each day and he loves to be read to at bedtime..which amounts to about an hour each night. So I guess total reading time together is about 3 to 4 hours daily.

[Trivium Academy]

Bible- dd7 reads now that she can, I used to (10 min)

History- dd7 (15 min daily), me (20 min-30 min daily)

Science- dd7 (15 min daily), me (20-30 min daily)

Poetry- me (5 min daily)

French- shared reading (15 min daily)

Literature read alouds:

ds3- about 4 picture books daily for a total of 30-45 minutes throughout the day

dd7- 30 minutes of read aloud at bedtime or after dinner, usually with ds3 too

 

It's about 3.5-4 hours daily of reading that is spread out in our day so it doesn't seem like much.

[Crissy]

I would have been completely shocked by freethinkermom's post, if I'd read it before I met Crissy last fall, who also does not read aloud and hates it. That was the first time I'd ever encountered anyone who did not enjoy reading aloud and simply just-said-no.

 

 

 

Yep. I do hate it.

So, I don't read *to* my children, but I read *with* them.

We all pile onto the couch or the bed at the end of the day and read our own books.

There is alot of reading going on around here, hours and hours each day, in fact.

It's just done very quietly. ;)

[Tami]

I don't read aloud at all. I limit the # of reading-related subjects, though. For example, we would read history *or* geography *or* science, not all in one day. If you want do do TruthQuest, I would just do that 3-4 days and geography 1-2 days. We don't do everything every day. If your son is a great reader, woo hoo!

 

A literature-based program is The Thing. The Main Lesson. It is not meant to be squeezed into an already full schedule, KWIM?

 

Hope you find answers,

Tami

[Sasha]

I do a lot of reading aloud. My unofficial goal is to be reading them each (meaning the older two, not the 4 year old) a book a week, plus read a book to the two of them. Depending on the length of the book (there is no reading Harriet the Spy in a week) we'll take longer, of course, but I try to read a chapter a day (the chapters in that book are long, about 20 pages each).

 

Alex, my 6 year old, and I just finished reading Indian in the Cupboard and also Ramona the Brave. We don't have a just-he-and-I book yet to replace them but the three of us are reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The chapters are so short and there are so many pictures that we can get several chapters read per day.

 

In addition I read SOTW to my 6 year old, while my 8 year old and I switch off reading SOTW2.

[Jenny in Atl]

I read aloud most to my youngest. I would say about 2hrs a day, between history and bedtime bks. However, all three of us listen to audio bks in the car, which can be for at least an hour or more 3x a week. My oldest is a voracious reader and quickly gets frustrated when I read aloud to her; she wants to grab the bk and be off on her own!