I have to admit that I have not been too successful at reading chapter books to ALL my kids. In the past I would read them to Belle or Anna individually. As a result I haven't always finished the chapter books started and had to "cheat" with books on tape!
I used to envy all the other homeschooling moms and their family reading sessions! How did they do it? Well, today, while reading the Latin Centered Curriculum, he kept mentioning reading aloud for an hour at least 3 times per week. WHAT!%#?! How?
I told myself I just HAD to do it. So today I announced reading time and everyone came running. I do read to them as a group but never chapter books. How would it go?
I set the timer for one hour and started reading. Thank God for Isabelle!! She decided to go get a blanket and pillow and lay on the floor. Five minutes later Anna did the same. Five minutes later Kolbe and Sophia copied. By now fifteen minutes had gone by and I had only read a couple of pages. In the past I would have stopped because progress was slow or due to interruptions. But not this time! I still had 45 minutes to go.
My kids did surprisingly well! Isabelle, Anna and Sophia listened. Kolbe kept trying to get into everyone elses "beds." Catherine kept screaming because she did not want to be forced into a bed (by Sophia). I had to stop several times to rescue Catherine or save the girls from Kolbe. But I kept reading!! I felt like the fighter waiting for the bell to ring and save me from this round!
Not only did I persevere but I was able to teach the girls to be more patient with Kolbe. I told them that if we were going to do this everyday they had to be patient with him and let him "sleep" with them and share their blankets with him. They couldn't believe I was going to read to them everyday! So they were patient!
If only I had known that blankets and pillows and floor space were all I needed to be successful. I would have done this a long time ago! I need to find our style of learning instead of trying to be like the schools or Barnes and Noble reading time!
Just for the record, I do read to my kids daily but those books consist of picture books. Chapter books were done individually (sporadically). I did read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe to the girls but that had been during Kolbe's naps. Today I read with ALL of them in the room!!
How exciting! I can't wait until tomorrow's reading time!! This time I'll be ready with the blankets and pillows!
August/September birthday gathering
3 weeks ago
Posts
3 comments:
I started reading chapter books about three years ago, when Jonny would have a fit at bedtime if I left! One night, I started reading aloud the book I was reading, hoping my droning voice would lull him. The next night, the girls begged to hear more. "But I'm already way past the part you heard last night!" So, I went downstairs and got a book for them. Thus began our evening chapter book read-alouds.
Nowadays, we start bedtimes with a picture book or two, then read a chapter or about 25-30 minutes worth of our novel, then prayers and tuck-ins.
I'm glad you've started reading these stories to them. Before you know it, they'll have larger vocabularies than you do!
Lillian,
Congrats on starting your story-hour. I hope it can continue to be a success in your home. That being said, I wanted say that I have very rarely, if ever, been able to read aloud to my children for an entire hour at a time. I would become quite frustrated and irritated, and give up. What I have learned is that if I can grab 15 or 20 minutes a few times in the day, say at lunch, during little one's naps, and then again at bedtime, we could get that hour in.
Short lessons, short reading, keeps my kids wanting for more and not dreading having to sit still or quiet for an entire hour.
I'm hoping to keep it up. I've always valued its importance but never was consistant. My kids would have me read for hours if my stamina would allow. Hence the books on tape. The tape never gets tired and doesn't care if he's interrupted!! ;-) But this will foster family time and there's something to anticipating the next chapter! Except now she doesn't have to wait 2 weeks for the next installment! In fact, we're reading Little House in the Big Woods from Isabelle's bday!!
Post a Comment