This last fall my son wanted to see the movie The Hunger Games. I had already read the book and knew the content. I wanted him to wait.
Gradually, the report came back. Weekly, he ticked off each friend that had been allowed to see the movie.
I decided he could see the movie, with conditions. He would watch it with me or his papa. And BEFORE THAT, he would read the books. Not just the first one. ALL the books. AND . . . we would read them. Together. Out loud.
My son, at this point, was reading a lot on his own. Hefty books like The Lightning Thief and Fable Haven. I didn’t think he would agree, but he did. Eagerly. We took turns. They are looooong books, so I did more of the share of reading, but we did switch back and forth.
There were so many benefits. I could tell first hand what vocab words were difficult, where his reading comprehension might need a boost, and most importantly, what he thought of the intense content. I realized that even discussions after reading the same book separately paled in comparison to this real-time experience. And above and beyond the reading literacy boost, we both looked forward to this time together. It was a wonderful chance to soak each other up. Mother and son bonded!
“The single most important activity for building knowledge for their eventual success in reading is reading aloud to children.” Becoming a Nation of Readers, The Commission on Reading 1985.
I’d like to add to that quote. Reading aloud WITH children.
I highly recommend it, even when they no longer need you to do the reading for them.
And, since I’m keeping track, this was one for the Parent Highlight reel.
I love this – right now I have toddlers, but I remember my mother reading books to us when we were much older and the discussions that followed!
I have loved reading with all of my girls. Once my oldest was old enough to read by herself she would then read to me. It’s such a wonderful bonding activity! =)
Hopping over from UBP13. I homeschooled for 10 yrs, but now mine are all grown up. We read aloud as a family, even in high school beginning each day with a great book.
I also like to cook, craft & write.
If you ever want some fun activities with your kids, stop by for our Oreo Moon Phases or our Lucky Charms Graph. http://HowToHomeschoolMyChild.com
Thanks for stopping by. Love the activity ideas.
Couldn’t agree more. Daily reading in any form – reading independently, reading with a parent or older sibling, listening to books on tape – creates life-long readers.