I have come to the point in my planning for next year where I am selecting this year’s read aloud books. This is one of my favourite parts of our day and I love selecting the books that we will read throughout the year. I try to incorporate books from all different genres and ones that will appeal to all my children, which can be somewhat difficult given their ages.
What is a Read Aloud?
In the homeschooling community the term “read aloud” comes up repeatedly. When I first entered the realm of homeschooling I had no idea what they were talking about and had to head to google to figure it out.
Read aloud is simple a teaching practice that involves you as a parent of teacher reading texts aloud to children. It is most commonly understood to be reading aloud chapter books or picture books for very young children.
When the text is read, the reader incorporates all the correct tone, pitch, volume and eye contact, and of course uses those silly voices where appropriate. The text is read with fluency that makes the story flow easily and is enjoyable to those listening.
Why is Reading Aloud to Children so Important?
Children understand and comprehend language at a much higher level than they can read language. When they listen to someone read a text on a higher level they are exposed to a more advanced level of vocabulary and complex sentence structures and writing styles. This in turn results in growth in many areas.
Reading aloud to children helps them in numerous ways. It improves their comprehension, reading, writing and listening skills. Reading aloud helps children to improve on their concentration and ability to sit and be still.
How Do You Read Aloud
Reading aloud to children should be an enjoyable experience and definitely not just a chore or something to check off the list for the day.
- Get comfy: Curl up on the couch together, pull out a blanket or two and some pillows.
- Read with Enthusiasm: Use all the funny voices in your funny voice bank, be animated, use intonation, volume, and tone to your advantage. No one is going to enjoy listening to a book read in monotone.
- Choose a time when you are relaxed and not in a rush to move on with other tasks
- Discuss what you have read once you have finished. Allow everyone to share their thoughts and have some input into the discussions.
- Have fun.
When is a Good time to Read Aloud?
I used to always save read aloud time for bedtime, however I found it was becoming less and less frequent or that we would just choose short picture books. These short books were fine for my youngest children but the older children were craving something with a bit more depth to it.
I recently switched our routine up a little bit. I chose to move our read aloud time to be a part of our morning basket. The morning works best for our family because honestly that is when I am most awake. Once we get to bed time I am too tired to give it the effort it truly deserves.
The ideal time to read aloud is whenever you are not exhausted or rushed. A good time may be after you have finished your school work for the day and are reading to wind down and relax a little before moving on with the tasks of the afternoon and evening.
Do I Need to Be the One to Read?
Absolutely not, why not pass the task on to an older child to practice their speaking skills? You would want the person reading to be a fluent reader to ensure the story reads well though. That is not to say a younger child can not read aloud, just give them a book that they are able to read well.
There are also wonderful audiobooks that also work well as read aloud books. I will say that they are no as good as having a parent or actual person reading right next to them but they are definitely a good second best. The reason that audiobooks come off second best is that there just isn’t that same level of interaction as there is with an actual person. There is more discussion and you are able to explain ideas, or words that the child is unfamiliar with.
We have an audible subscription that we love. We listen to audiobooks frequently and especially in the car. Even my toddlers and preschoolers will listen intently which is a miracle in itself. There are lot of free books, 99c books and other more expensive books you can purchase with your free credit each month.
What are Good Read Aloud Books?
There are many characteristic that make a good read aloud. One of the main ones is excitement. You want to have the children engaged early on and wanting to know what is going to happen. There are many times I have had my children begging for just one more chapter!
The length of a book is also an important factor. A read aloud should be substantial enough that there is time for a well developed plot. I also like a book that can carry us over a couple of weeks at least.
Subject matter. I really enjoy reading books that make my children think and ask questions. Good literature will expand minds and encourage children to be thinkers and problem solvers. I like to choose books from different eras in history, socioeconomic positions, cultures and religions. Books have the ability to carry us beyond our own neighbourhoods and grasp some understanding of those who are different to us and experience a different life to us. This can do nothing but enrich our children’s minds of the world around them.
When Should I Start Read Aloud Time?
From the day they are born. There is no one right time to start reading to your children, but the earlier the better, even if they can not understand what you are staying. There are studies after studies that show that reading to your children is one of the most beneficial things you can spend your time on when it comes to raising your children. Reading to young children gives them a head start in life.
How Long Should I Read Aloud to My Children?
It entirely depends on the child. You don’t want to force them to sit for longer than they want to and start to associate reading as an unpleasant experience. In the early days take the cue from your child. However most children, even the very young ones love to be read to. Many could listen to you read for over an hour or more.
When I read aloud to my children each day I aim for around 30 minutes. This seems like a decent amount of time to get in a chapter or two and then carry on with the work for the day. Some days are much shorter if it is particularly busy or everyone is a bit restless but 30 minutes is my aim.
There are times when my children and I will listen to audiobooks for hours at a time on long drives. On our road trip around New Zealand earlier in the year we listened to Harry Potter for 4 hours straight then sat in the driveway of our destination and listened for a further 40 minutes until we finished the book.
If your children aren’t used to being read to start of small with short picture books then move on to chapter books. By the age of 4-5 children are ready and able to listen to longer chapter books. I find chapter books seem to increase the imagination as there are no pictures to tell them what the story looks like. It is always fun to talk about the book afterwards and discuss how we all imagined the scenes and characters.
Top Read Aloud Suggestions
I thought it only prudent that I share with you our read aloud picks for this year. I may add to or alter these as the year goes on but this is where it stands today.
- The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe: I have been wanting to read this to my children for a few years but it has always put on the back bench. This year I am determined to get it read!
- The Lightening Thief: We have seen the movie and my oldest has read the books but I think we would really enjoy these as a read aloud selection too. Auron says he is happy for me to read them aloud even though he has read them twice already.
- Pippi Long Stockings: This was a favourite of mine as a child and I am excited to share it with my children.
- The Hobbit: We visited Hobbiton in New Zealand and ever since my children have been Hobbit crazy. I promised this book would be on our list this year.
- Little House in the Big Woods: This one is definitely aimed towards my daughter and I am not sure how much my boys will enjoy it but sometimes that is how life works
- Nim’s Island: I imagine this will be fun for everyone. It will be easy to listen to and read. I plan to read this in the dead of winter so we can picture ourselves on a tropical beach somewhere!
- Henry’s Freedom Box: I haven’t read this one before but I like the story behind it. It will go well with out studies on slavery.
That is as far as I have gotten so far but I have no doubt that I will add to the list through out the year as I hear of different books. We will also read an assortment of picture books at bed time too, along with the children doing their own personal reading.
