Read Aloud Family Chapter 7: Debunking 5 Myths

Years ago when I first started homeschooling, I had visions of us all sitting curled up on the couch with me reading. The children would be sitting quietly with their full attention tuned to what I was reading. Sound familiar? That vision was never our reality. Thankfully it did not take me long to figure out that my son was not going to sit quietly and contentedly for me to read. However, if I gave him something to occupy his hands, we could still enjoy many great books together.

This is what myth four in chapter 7 of the Read Aloud Family(aff) is all about. ”My kids should be sitting still while I read aloud to them.” For many children sitting still will actually make it harder for them to focus on what you are reading. By providing something for their hands (and sometimes bodies) to do their brains can more easily focus on the story. My daughter enjoys coloring, crafting and my oldest son tends to build with Legos or sketch in his notebook. My four year old will color, build with blocks, or play in a sensory bin. He even tends to wander around the room if I’m reading a chapter book but as long as he isn’t disruptive we let him go. He will sit with me to read picture books with him and we talk about the pictures and the story.

Another myth that hits close to home is myth number two, “It only counts as reading aloud if you do the reading yourself.” We love to listen to audio books while we ride. I can’t read aloud in the car because I get car sick but a good story makes the miles go by quicker (and more peacefully). Sometimes this feels a bit like ‘cheating’ since I’m not actually doing the reading but the children are still getting the benefits of a read aloud. We have listened to many stories as a family while driving. In addition to the benefits of the read aloud (vocabulary, story, etc), it makes long drives so much more pleasant. I’m sure we aren’t the only family who struggles with unrest during long car rides. The children tend to ride more contentedly with less arguing when there is a story being told.

While all 5 myths are important, the one that I needed to hear most and that I’m still working on remembering is, “light books don’t count.” Light books most certainly count and can have a great many benefits. There are so many classics that I want my children to know, it can be hard to remember that it really can be beneficial to read light and fun books together as a family. Like many things in life, there is a time and place for classics and a time and place for light and fun books. We recently read Mr. Lemoncellos’s Library. The children, and myself, laughed through most of the book. It was fun to just enjoy a funny story together.

Remember it doesn’t have to look like the picture in your mind, be an extended process (even ten minutes of reading is beneficial), be a classic book, or even be you doing the reading for your family to get the benefits of reading aloud. Don’t wait for the perfect time or even the perfect book. Grab a book from your shelf and get started today! Which myth most resonated with your family?

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Deals and Freebies!

FREE: Check out this great new FREE resource for classical and Charlotte Mason education! Classical Christian Education & Charlotte Mason. Great for folks already homeschooling or if you have friends that are looking into it!

FREE Poetry Pack from Write Shop! 20 Printable Activities and Worksheets, including: Practice exercises, brainstorming worksheets, poem planning worksheets, word banks, and colorful lined writing pages

You Are An Artist is having a 25% off sale this week on several of their programs including American Landmarks, Sharks, Backyard Nature Study, Seashores and more. There are some great free lessons you can try to see if this program is a good fit for your kids.

If you are looking for a reasonably priced homeschool curriculum to get you going next year then this is a great deal! We use it for my preschooler as well as select courses for my middle schooler. The price is for all the classes for all of the children in your home and this is a great 3 day sale! By Fall they will have over 400 courses all included for that same price! https://schoolhouseteachers.com/dap/a/?a=59468 (ref)

Our Summer of Reading!

My ‘big goal’, this summer, is to have a summer full of reading for the whole family!

I’ve been leading a book study on, The Read Aloud Family (aff) and I was very much convicted that I needed to get back to spending more time reading both aloud to my children and on my own. I have loved reading since I was a small child but as an adult I found that the busyness of life and the ready availability of technology made it easy to put my reading aside.

At the beginning of the year, I made a goal of reading 12 books during my personal reading time and I’m well on my way to achieving that goal.I am working hard to put the phone/computer away earlier at night and settle in with a chapter or two in a good book. I also am trying to go back to reading being my default activity if I have to wait somewhere instead of scrolling through my social media.

In addition to my personal reading, I really want to make sure that I’m prioritizing reading aloud to my children. Reading aloud to the little ones comes naturally and easily most days. The picture books take only a few minutes to read and the four year old is always reminding me ( some would say begging me) to read.

Reading aloud to my older children (12 and 10) has been far more apt to get pushed to the side. I always planned to read aloud to them at the end of the night just before bed. It seemed like such a great way to wrap up the day. However, the reality of our life is that the end of the day almost never worked out like I wanted it to. The little ones were tired and cranky, I was exhausted many nights, and clean up and showers always took longer than we planned.

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So what is a mom to do? I decided to switch things up and try reading at other times. Sometimes I’m reading in the mornings and sometimes I’ve been reading in the late afternoon while we sit on the front porch. I keep the book handy and I try to make reading aloud my default whenever we have a few extra minutes. I’m still a work in progress, but I am definitely seeing an increase in our read aloud times.

We are also working as a family to make reading a fun and enjoyable part of the summer. The older children both have comfy spots in their rooms to read as well as hammocks that they can hang outside if they want to read outside. We make sure that their shelves are well stocked with lots of books that interest them so that picking a new one is fun and easy.

To help hold me accountable and encourage others to join me on this journey I’ve been posting pictures of the books we are reading and the children reading in various places on my Instagram. I’d love to have you join us! Share a picture of your current book or your favorite reading spot. Join me in making this the summer of reading and making memories with our children. If you are looking for more help with incorporating reading into your home check out our 5 Days for the Love of Reading Series.

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Friday Deals and Freebies!

Starting tomorrow (Saturday) You Are An Artist is having a 25% off sale on several of their programs including American Landmarks, Sharks, Backyard Nature Study, Seashores and more. There are some great free lessons you can try to see if this program is a good fit for your kids.

Creating a Book Club Culture (Read Aloud Family)

“Home is the only place where our children have a fighting chance of falling in love with books. “

When our children are small, it is so easy to read to them for their enjoyment. We sit down and we read picture books with them and point out all of the animals or trains. Sometimes reading the same books over and over again at their request. I loved watching their eyes light up when they brought me a book to read.

As children get older and start formal schooling (be that at home or in a public/private school building) reading tends to become less about pleasure and more about work. It is so easy during this time for children to lose that love of books. Don’t get me wrong it is important that children learn to read and I think it’s ok to sometimes specify what book they need to read. However, I think and this chapter affirms that it is so important that they be able to just sit back and relax with fun books that they choose.

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Sometimes it is easy to fall into the mindset that they need to be focusing their time on challenging books or nonfiction books that correlate with our studies. There is nothing wrong with those types of books but we don’t need to forget that they need the chance to read what they enjoy if we truly want them to love reading. For my daughter that meant sticking with shorter chapter books long after I thought she should be reading more challenging material. For my son, that means reading the Little House on the Prairie series more times than I care to count. At times it was frustrating but now they both love reading.

I told the ladies in my book study that this might be my favorite chapter because it combined brownies with books! I love how she talks about making those memories and making books fun. Howe much fun is it to sit around the table with tea and cookies while reading or to curl up on the couch with brownies and milk. We even sit on our front porch with lemonade and snacks to read a good book. This helps foster a love of learning and make memories that will last a life time.

What is your favorite suggestion for making your home a book club culture?

Deals and Freebies!!

You ARE an Artist is having a 20% off sale on all of their nature themed studies. We have been enjoying the summer camp themed series!

Peter Rabbit Collection Audiobook for only .48 cents! (at the time of posting always check prices)

The Last Archer (Green Ember Series) is only $.99 (prices subject to change)

The Black Star of Kingston (Green Ember Series) is FREE (again always check Amazon changes prices frequently)

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Reading Goals Update

It has been awhile since I’ve done a reading update but not because I haven’t’ been reading. I am still not picking up a book quite as often as I’d like but I’m meeting my goals and with summer coming I’m hoping to pick up the pace (its always a little easier when I take some of the homeschooling off my plate).

Last time I updated I had finished Heroes Next Door and Finding Selah. I was also getting ready to start Eat with Sinners: Loving Like Jesus. That is a great book that I got a bit side tracked on when the baby came but I’m going to go back and finish it soon. I have also completed reading The Unhurried Homeschooler which was not in my original list of six but proved to be a great book and an easy read.

I’m currently reading Do Hard Things, The Lifegiving Parent, and Read Aloud Family. I am leading a book study on Read Aloud Family and it is a truly great book. Even for those parents that already enjoy reading aloud it has a wealth of information in an easy to read style that is sure to encourage. In the fall I will be leading a study of The Lifegiving Parent but I’m going ahead and reading it now. It is a little more dense than some of the Clarkson books and it takes me a little longer to read and work through what is written but it is time well spent. The third book, Do Hard Things, I’m working on I’m actually reading with my son. We are each going to read a chapter and discuss it before moving on to the next chapter. My husband read the book last summer and we are hoping to use this book to challenge my son as he approaches his teen years.

When I finish those books I plan to enjoy some fun summer reading. I want to read at least one and maybe two more of the Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter. They are such fun books that make me want to relax on my front porch with tea and scones. They are clean and wholesome with a bit of adventure. For my more educational reading I am hoping to get into Pocketful of Pinecones. This book is designed to help teach about nature study but it written in a warm story fashion which should make for great summer reading.

If I complete all of those books by the end of August, that will put me at nine or ten books with four months left to complete my goal of twelve books. When I was younger my default activity when I had down time was reading. Unfortunately, I’ve found that I tend to default to e-mail or social media these days and I’m still working on breaking that habit. I do find that the more I read the easier it becomes to make that my default. I have also been doing more reading aloud with the children and they are really enjoying the books we have been able to read together.

I would love to know what books you have been reading and what recommendations you might have! Tell us in the comments about a book you have read recently.

Friday Deals and Freebies!

Peter Rabbit Collection Audiobook for only .48 cents! (at the time of posting always check prices)

Resource Library and Affiliate Disclosure

When you sign up for our free resource library you will get a link and password to the library, we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you up to date on what we have going on.

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Read-Aloud Family Chapters 3-4

Sometimes I watch the news (or my newsfeed) and I get fearful for the world that my children will live in as adults. I know that 2 Timothy 1:7 says, “⁷For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (KJV) However, it can be so easy to worry about preparing them for the troubles of this world without inundating them with problems at a young age. I love how chapter three of The Read-Aloud Family talks about the effects of reading aloud about great heroes and the positive effects it can have on our children.

I want my children to grow up to be prepared to stand up for truth. I want them to be willing to do great things for the Lord even in the face of adversity. I know that they may well face persecution for staying true to their beliefs and I’m often not sure how to prepare them for that possibility without unnecessarily scaring them. Realizing that I am preparing them to stand up to those challenges simply by reading them stories of others that have acted heroically.

When we read the Chronicles of Narnia or the Green Ember my children learn that there may be difficulties, ‘white witches’ and ‘lords of prey’ but that they can stand up to them and fight the battles that lie ahead. We read about sad times and troubling abuse in The War that Saved My Life but they learn that people can make a real positive difference in the lives of others. All of these important life lessons simply through picking up a book and reading.

We have to push forward and make decisions about what is worth out time and what is not-about what gets our best attention, what gets our peripheral attention, and what gets no attention at all.

In chapter four, she switches from the ideals of heroism to the academic effects of reading aloud. Often I think we tend to worry that when we focus on our ‘ideals’ we neglect the academics or vice versa and struggle to find that balance.

I struggle in trying to challenge them academically, guide and nurture them spiritually, spend quality time enjoying each other, and all of the other necessary tasks in life (for some crazy reason my kids all want three meals a day and a number of snacks.) This means that my attention is pulled in many directions and I sometimes have to say no to good things in order to focus on what is best.

I love how these two chapters show that reading aloud is beneficial both in sharing our family ideals and in strengthening academics. We do not have to choose, we can work on both at the same time. The story of the young college student who thought she was short changed because she had less math and science but more reading really stuck out to me. I have often said that if you could read you could learn anything you needed to know, but I love seeing a real life example of that philosophy.

I’ll end this post with the quote that ended chapter four because I think it sums up so well the benefits of reading aloud. ” And so, while I continue to daydream and wonder about what my children will one day become and what great vision God has for each of their lives, I’ll do the one thing I know will best prepare them for it all. It’s free. Its easy. And it’s the most effective way to help my kids succeed academically. I’ll read aloud. “

Deals and Freebies!!

Peter Rabbit Collection Audiobook for only .48 cents! (at the time of posting always check prices)

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Weigl Book Review

For this review I had the opportunity to check out three different types of books from Weigl Publishers and the digital content that accompanied each book. We reviewed Glaciers, A Lion’s World, and There Once Was a Cowpoke Who Swallowed an Ant. These were digital books with interactive content. For each book you receive a PDF of the book and inside the PDF there are instructions for going to the website and entering in the book code to access the digital features of the book. You do need internet access in order to use the digital content and extras but you can view the PDF of the book without internet access once you have it downloaded.

The first book was Glaciers from the series “Earth’s Water” published under their imprint Lightbox. This book was geared towards upper elementary and middle grades students and packed with information. While it technically is a nonfiction book, it was so much more than a book. There were awesome web links, videos, and other activities included as you read through the book. I could have done an entire unit study on glaciers based off of this book and the extra activities and information that were linked in the book. There were maps and even quizzes included with the book. The illustrations were excellent including real photographs as well as diagrams that were beneficial to understanding the science concepts. The end of the book included a cool science experiment. We thoroughly enjoyed this book and plan to go back and revisit it later when it ties into our regular science curriculum. I do want to mention one thing that may be an issue for some of my readers, it did discuss a timeline for glacier movement that spanned millions of years.

The second book we looked at was A Lion’s World belonging to our “EyeDiscover” series. Weigl says that it is intended for a K-2 interest range which I believe is appropriate but my four year old also really enjoyed it. It was much shorter with more basic (age appropriate) information. It included audio aspects that were a great way to keep younger children involved and interested. Benjamin (4) said when reading about lions and watching them run, ” That is like how fast I can run with my big strong legs.” Each page had one sentence and the sound and movement made the book a wonderful experience for my son. After I showed it to him initially he asked several times to read it again.

The third book was a fiction title that was geared toward lower elementary school students, There Once Was a Cowpoke Who Swallowed an Ant. This was a silly rhyming fictional book. You could choose to have it read to the student or for the student to read it themselves. While this was probably our least favorite book as a family, I know some other students who would have really enjoyed the silly story. The ability to have it read to them while they followed along with the words is a great strategy for developing readers.

We enjoyed these books, particularly the non-fiction titles. I recommend them for families looking to add a digital element to their reading or wanting to support developing readers with the read aloud options. Check out all of the available titles by Weigl Publishers and let us know which ones you think your family would most enjoy.

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2018 Book List: January Update

I set a goal of reading twelve books this year for myself. This does not include books we read as a family, books I am previewing for the children, or reading curriculum aloud each day during school time. It may not sound like many but I’ve found that in this current busy stage of life I have to be very intentional about making time to read. I also wanted to make sure that I was reading a comfortable variety of books. I have included several fiction books, parenting books, Christian living books, and home schooling books.

I shared the first six of my twelve choices in My 2018 Book List. So far I think I’m doing well at working towards my goal. I have completed reading Heroes Next Door. Since my husband wrote it, I am probably biased but I really enjoyed it and felt like it met a need that we have seen in historical fiction. This book is historical fiction about the Vietnam War as told from the perspective of two home schooled children and their neighbor who is a Vietnam Veteran. Many other books we found on Vietnam included a significant amount of language and content that we felt was inappropriate for our young children. My daughter currently has my copy of the book and is really enjoying it. It is in the final process at the publisher and should be released to the public sometime next month.

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Next I read Finding Selah. This book is very different from the first book but has been a good read. It focusing on finding rest in your life and tells of the author’s journey towards finding rest and peace in the midst of her everyday life. She also discusses the pain and trials of miscarriage and the joy over the birth of her son after several miscarriages. I know that this is a sensitive subject for many readers, for some it may really resonate and be healing but for others it may make for a difficult read. Where I didn’t want to put the first book down, this book was one I felt best read one chapter at a time. It required more thinking and reflection on how I could apply those principals to my life.

My next book isn’t in my original six but I’m excited about reading it. My pastor has decided to use the book, Eat with Sinners: Loving Like Jesus as a jumping off point for his current sermon series. I plan to read this book this month to go along with our series. I’m excited about this book and how it can hopefully impact myself, my family, and our church to reach more people with the love of Jesus. I’ll share more about this book as I get time to read it and go through the series but I’d love to have you join us in this study.

I have also decided that I need to read or finish reading a few books that I purchased and never read as I fill out my list of twelve. Am I the only one that has one of those stacks? I bought it, life got busy, and I completely forgot about it. In This House We Will Giggle by Courtney DeFeo. This book is written with the plan of reading one section each month. However, I know that for me that increases the likelihood that I’ll get sidetracked. Therefore, I’m planning to post each month about that month’s virtue and ideas on the blog. Hopefully the accountability will keep me on track and it can be a blessing to all of us.

I would love to know what you are reading or have recently read that you really enjoyed. Please, share a book suggestion in comments.

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New Deals and Freebies!

Educents is having a big sale starting today! It includes lots of great products like Life of Fred (at the lowest prices ever), Hooked on Phonics, Times Tales and More.

Huge Valentines Day Freebie Bundle from The Old Schoolhouse!

Winter Olympics for Kids (Free on Kindle at the time of posting)

Snowman Paul Returns to the Winter Olympics

Kindle Fire on Sale for less than $40

Last couple of days to get the discounted price on the new All About Learning Letter Tiles App.

Spring Cleaning, Curriculum Style

We have found a new direction for our schooling that provides quality education as well as convenience for us. It packs a punch financially, but getting the membership saves us a considerable amount of money over doing their monthly subscription. So, I have some items to gleefully clear out of my room (which is the storage for much of our school stuff).

I am a purger by nature. I’m also pretty frugal. Put those two together, and…you have this post. 😉 So, here goes!

Prices have a little bit of room for negotiation. 😉

First, I have this Pre-Algebra set from Teaching Textbooks. We have really liked the approach of this math. Great for visual and auditory learners. Easy to understand instruction. Pages are a wee bit tired. Gently used, with a little bit of highlighting. Disks work fine. Asking: $100 for all, Paypal preferred (shipping included-Continental US only)

The Christian Light Level 4 books I have available are all new. The two text books are like new, with only light wear. It is not the complete set, but most of it is there. In most subjects only the first couple of workbooks are missing. All answer keys and teacher editions are new. Asking $200 for all, Paypal preferred (shipping included-Continental US only)

The Algebra 2 and Health high school texts from BJU Press are gently used. Asking $20 for both, Paypal preferred (shipping included-Continental US only)

I have the Life of Fred Language Arts for high school, complete set. Great condition, only a few pencil marks in one book. Books C and D are like brand new. Asking $60 for both, Paypal preferred (shipping included-Continental US only)

The Easy Spanish and Webster’s Spanish dictionary are also gently used. Asking $20 for both, Paypal preferred (shipping included-Continental US only)

The Story of the World, Volume 3 set has some light wear. Includes Student Text, Activity Book (all pages intact), and Test and Answer Key (like new). Asking $65 for all, Paypal preferred (shipping included-Continental US only)

I apologize for images which have turned or rotated. I can’t seem to figure out how to edit them in WordPress! If you would like a better image, respond to the email below, and I’ll be happy to send you one.

Christian Light Reading Answer Keys-new

Christian Light Science Answer Keys-new

Christian Light Language Arts Answer Keys-new

Christian Light Social Studies Answer Keys-new

Christian Light Science workbooks-new

Christian Light Social Studies workbooks and maps-new

Christian Light Reading and Bible workbooks-new

Christian Light Language Arts workbooks and Teacher Edition-new

Christian Light Social Studies and Reading texts-light wear

Teaching Textbooks Pre Algebra set-some wear, a little highlighting

BJU Press Health and Algebra 2 tests-light wear

Easy Spanish and Dictionary-like new

Life of Fred High School Language Arts–light wear and a little pencil in first two, C and D are new

Story of the World, Volume 3 text, activity book, and tests/answer key-like new

If you are interested in any of these items, please send an email to blest2bwest@wyoming.com . I’ll try and respond promptly with any further details you need.

The UPS Elf!

Our “12 Hours of Christmas” and “Homeschool Homestretch” events are done. Many happy prize winners have already received their goodies, or have their noses pressed to their front door windows eagerly awaiting them! Now it’s time to focus on my home, family and our church festivities.

WPD BUT I wanted to share what came in MY mail today! Santa’s brown elf (not to be confused with wood elves, LOTR fans) visited us today. I know we homeschoolers get a special thrill from receiving boxes of books, so I thought I’d post a pic so we can squeal together!

I’ll be reviewing these items here after the New Year. Some of my favorite things, and I get to test drive them for free!

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This felt like “Merry Christmas to me” when I opened it!

Another Way to Trade Your Used Books for Some Jingle in Your Pocket!

I’ve been known to say “There is no such thing as having too many books”…but, well, truthfully sometimes there is. Sometimes books are friends, and we know we want to keep them near us. Other times, a book has served its purpose and it needs to find a new home so we can make room for more on our shelf!

When I was in college, I saved a whole lot of money by taking those monstrous textbooks I knew I’d never use again (History of Civ comes to mind 😉 ) and going to our campus store to sell them back (in good condition, of course). Now as a homeschool mom, I have saved a LOT of money by buying used textbooks from Amazon. For literally pennies sometimes, I’ve gotten textbooks for Spanish, Algebra, Esthetics (for an elective for our Cosmetology enthusiast) and plenty more!

One thing I sort of knew, but have never tried is the “flip side”: letting Amazon buy back our used books! Did you know you can do that? Very cool, right? So those boxes of books that would not sell at yard sales, and you are loathe to just toss in the trunk to take to Goodwill…can be repurposed and put a bit of jingle in your pocket just in time for the holidays! You can get up to 80% return on those materials!

Want to know more? Just click on that pile of books at the top of this post! 🙂

For the Love of Learning (and saving money!),
Diane