One of the things I like to do at the beginning of the year to get ready is get my list of read alouds ready. We do a LOT of read alouds that correspond with what we are studying during the year. And we do a lot of read alouds that are just for fun.
I love books and I want to instill a love of reading and literature in my kids so I think reading aloud to them is important. They all love it. My oldest is almost 11 and she STILL loves being read to.
I’ve found that reading to them allows them to listen to books and discuss books that are above their reading level. This is good for keeping them both interested. Sometimes I read one that is at my 10 year olds reading level out loud so that my 1st grader can enjoy it too. And he does.
We try to mix up the level of books that I’m reading to them but, in the end, we read a lot out loud. That is for sure.
So I like to get a list together of my read alouds for the year. We don’t always get through them all and we add as we come across others that correspond but having the list is helpful to keep the pressure off and know what I want to get if we are on a tight library schedule one day or something that I wanted is checked out.
A good way to get your read aloud list together is to decide what you are planning to read aloud during your year.
Here are some questions to ask yourself as you get your list together:
- Will you be reading Bible studies or Bible stories? Plan out what you want to cover during the year.
- Do you like to read bedtime stories or during lunch time? Will this time be for pleasure and fun or correspond with what you are studying?
- Will you want a read aloud to correspond with your topics of study (ie history, science)?
- What literature do you want to cover this year? Will some be used for read alouds
- What fun reading do you want for your kids? Will they read aloud also?
After you have answered these questions, make a list. Do it however works best for you. You could pick 2 from each category or make a list ad-nauseam and then filter from there. Once you have your list, prioritize it.
I like to figure out what I really want to make sure we read throughout the year and what might be fun to add if we have the time. I also have some read alouds ready for my oldest to read to the younger kids. We keep these in book baskets. Then my husband or I can pick out a book from the book basket, or have a child go get one, or even our oldest knows what to read when asked to read to the little ones. Sometimes I even catch her reading to them without being prompted. That’s a proud mommy moment, right?
Having my read alouds planned does not mean that I don’t ever deviate from the plan. However, it does mean that I have a list and its ready for a library trip or I can look it up on the library online in the ebooks if I need something and didn’t get to the library.
I love having them planned out at the beginning of the year. Then it’s one less thing I have to put into our already hectic schedule.
I’m looking forward to sharing our reading lists as soon as they are done. I hope you will enjoy it and find something fun to read with your family.
Do you plan your read alouds? What fun books are on your reading list this year?
Leave a Reply