Read Aloud Time for the Masses (or at least our four…)

Posted by Christine | 0 comments

photo credit: Heidi from Mt. Hope

The older my children get, and the longer we homeschool, the more value I see in our read aloud times.  I don’t think there’s a homeschooler out there who doesn’t understand the benefits; books like The Read Aloud Handbook, and Honey for a Child’s Heart fly off the shelves at conventions and get lots of press on homeschool websites and blogs, after all.  Still, a significant time snuggling together on the couch, when there are other things that need to get done, seems a luxury on some days, and like a chore (when babies won’t nap and toddlers are whining) on others.

I have heard many homeschoolers say, “Oh, we need to get our reading time in, but it just doesn’t happen as often as we’d like it to,” and some years have even been that homeschooler myself.  Math, grammar, dinner planning, errands, doctor’s appointments, lessons and activities all clamor for attention and reading gets pushed aside.  But I challenge you to, for one week, make reading time the priority.  Get it done first, and don’t let other things intrude.  Create a habit and make it something the kids look forward to.

Reading aloud can cover so many topics and get much of our learning done in one fell swoop, making us feel quite resourceful and sneaky, like we just cheated the schedule.  It can keep both a preschooler (we have two) and a middle-schooler involved and soaking up bits of information at their own level effortlessly, while creating a sense of family unity and bringing a restful centering element to our days, even amidst the chaos.

I remember the days of babies and toddlers (they weren’t that long ago) and how it seemed even getting three picture books read was impossible.  Perseverance paid off in spades, though, and my own adjustments in our days proved to make our reading-together time something all of the kids now beg for.

Here is an example of our read aloud schedule for an ideal day.  We all know that there are very few “ideal days” in homeschooling, but our experience may give you a basis to brainstorm your own reading times.

In the mid-morning (usually), when we’re still fresh and the kids are little sponges, ready to soak up anything, we sit down on the couch.  The children each choose one book, and then I prepare a healthy stack of books to fit in with our school week- a combination drawn from history, art, picture books, the Bible, poetry, geography, science, foreign language, puzzle books, you name it- and a healthy (or not-so-healthy) snack for each child.  A reading list we might choose on any given day, beginning with the picture books and ending with the more academic ones, could be:

• Jesus Storybook Bible
• I Will Never, Not Ever, Eat a Tomato (with accent)
• Swamp Angel (geography, tall tale from Tennessee)
• National Geographic US Atlas (the Tennessee 2-page spread)
• Anno’s Mysterious Multiplying Jar
• Cezanne (Mike Venezia)
• Cezanne picture study (a la Charlotte Mason, using any large coffee table book)
• I am Going (Elephant and Piggie, for the young crowd…)
• Ms. Frizzle’s Adventures in Ancient Egypt (for our history, and to keep the young ones occupied)

**The younger ones usually go down to the floor and draw or play quietly with blocks at this point.  They last about 45 minutes to an hour on the couch with us.**

• Who Was King Tut? (a couple of chapters for the older two)
• Handel at the Court of Kings (continue reading aloud to go with our composer study)
• The Seasons (Poems for Young People- each child chooses a poem)

During our time I rub backs, hold hands, ask questions, get brief spontaneous narrations, and just enjoy my children.  I occasionally begin to doze at the end and the kids are quick to give grace as they sneak off to play.  A fifteen minute nap does wonders!

At lunchtime, they sit and eat while I read aloud from our more challenging chapter book.  This keeps the littles occupied and engaged in the story and allows their young minds to soak up all of the wonderful language and ideas they otherwise wouldn’t have the patience for.  Our lunchtime read-alouds have included classics such as James and the Giant Peach and The Year of Miss Agnes, and our current choice is Five Children and It by Edith Nesbit, one we all love!

One last reading time that I’m trying to make a priority is a half hour with one of the older two children.  We trade off days and I read something that might be a bit beyond the younger ones, having some special one-on-one time in the process.  With my 8-year-old daughter, I am reading The Light Princess by George MacDonald and I love the rich language!  My 11-year-old son and I are reading through The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare, and the historical drama has drawn us both in.

This kind of schedule works well in our family and we enjoy all of this reading.  For me, before bed is not an option for reading aloud.  I know of families who read for a significant time at night to their children and consider it one of the best bonding times.  Nope.  Doesn’t work here. Come 8:30pm, you can stick a fork in me, ‘cause I’m just done.  My energy level and motivation for doing things with the kids has gone, and I need to decompress.

Reading aloud is such a rich component of our days, and I aim to make it a priority.  I hope my children humor their mama well into the teen years, and we can share many, many more wonderful books together in the brief span of time they are at home.

I’d love to hear what works for you.  What goals do you have for your family read-aloud times?  How do you implement them?

Christine Hiester is a Christian, homeschooling mom to three boys and a girl, ranging in age from 10 to 3 years old. She is a musician by trade, eclectic in homeschool style, and continues to grow and learn along with her children in this journey of life and discipleship at home. Visit her blog at Fruit in Season.