the single most important activity for building the knowledge required for eventual success in reading is reading aloud to children.
from a report by the commission on reading, as quoted by jim trelease in the read-aloud handbook
i think i have talked before about how much i love to read aloud to my kids, how it calms everyone (including me) down at the end of long day. most of our days are so harried. right now, with soccer season upon us, there are games and practices. there is always somewhere someone has to be. but eventually…after the dishes are piled, the dirty clothes tossed about and the bathwater drained, everyone climbs into bed (right now our older three children are all sleeping in the same room) and i sit on the edge of a bed, take a deep breath and read a chapter from our current book to them. frequently, we are all anxious to know what will happen next to the people in our story. it drives us to be quiet and listen. to immerse ourselves in another world. it is one of my favorite moments of the day. often taido will read instead of me and hearing his voice reading to them fills me up in much the same way. it is comforting. and i hope they will remember hearing his voice reading to them for their whole lives. and that my boys will read to their children. (i know mary polly will read to hers.)
so, here are our last two read alouds if you’re looking for something new. i finished this one with the kids a couple of weeks ago and now the kids are traveling to mount everest every night with taido. both books have been fun stories about kids who have great adventures. the first one is by a local little rock author and he is actually signing books this saturday at lorenzen and co. booksellers from 1-3pm. stop by and pick up this little gem! there’s a sequel coming out this summer.
Read aloud is definitely one of my favorite times of the day too… some books I’ve read aloud to my class this year that the kids really enjoyed:
“Kensuke’s Kingdom” by Michael Morpugo
“Breadwinner” by Deborah Ellis
“The Watsons Go To Birmingham, 1963” by Christopher Paul Curtis
“The Giant Rat of Sumatra” by Sid Fleischman
thanks for the suggestions. i love gettting new lists. cole is reading the watsons go to birmingham right now, but i think we might still read it aloud because we all so loved bud, not buddy by the same author.
we’re in the midst of the Boxcar Children mysteries- cole loves them and loves to hear of benny and his many adventures. he’s also started a series by himself called The Magic Treehouse (the first two a gift). david is still a hungry caterpillar kind of guy and anything with cars/trucks/big machines in it.
i love that we have the same thought- that our boys will remember as grown men- the importance of reading, the sounds of our voices, and the love we’re trying to foster. like you, my one wish for them is to want to actively read to their children some day.
thanks for the tip- we’ll be trying out the trenton stewart book.
thanks for the info about saturday we will go over there to get our book signed. We have started it and can’t wait for spring break so we can really dive in. Noah read Peak and LOVED it. I have a stack of books to share with you at the park. Have you read The Shack???? can’t wait for a park date soon.
I picked up a few of the classics for the boys and they are enjoying those..Tom Sawyer. We are reading First Samuel to help Noah with Bible quiz. how exciting is this book for boys who love swords and battles.
Julie
We just finished Mr. Popper’s Penguins. It was a great trip down memory lane! Pippi Longstocking is next. I raided the old books shelf at the library.
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