Need suggestions to cover reading for my 7 and 9 year old ds

[mamafox]

I'm new to homeschooling and feel like I'm slacking in reading for my 7 and 9 year old boys. I know they should be reading alone daily and I should also read aloud to them daily. Should they read independently and aloud to me? Can anyone share with me what works for you?

Thanks!
Debbie

[Lori D.]

What works for everyone will be a little different, so don't feel you need to reproduce what we, or others have done; sounds like you are already seeing your family's need and beginning to chart your way. : )


For what it's worth, we've always done a mix:
- some solo reading
- some together "popcorn" style reading ("you read a page, I read a page")
- some read alouds

In the early elementary years, we did a little of each style of reading just about every day; the together "popcorn" reading was for 10-20 minutes during school; solo reading was usually afternoon or at bedtime; read alouds happened anytime in the day -- reading aloud during school as part of history, art, science, etc.; reading something fun right after lunch to ease back into school; fun books for evening family reading time, curled up in bed together.

Even now in middle school/high school we still do all three styles of reading. The "popcorn" style is still great for practice of dictation, reading with emotion and "drama" and those public speaking skills. Both "popcorn" style and read alouds allow us to read works that would be a bit above our boys' heads and to be able to learn vocabulary in the moment/in context; and to discuss/analyze work together.


Ideas for solo reading:
Some people use the cool idea of a "book basket" in which they fill -- and regularly rotate -- good books for their children to enjoy on their own whenever). Wish I'd seen that idea when the boys were young! : )

Encourage solo reading by reading in a fun/unusual place -- up in a treehouse; in a "fort" (blanket over a table) with a flashlight; on a pile of pillows in a dry bathtub; in a big cardboard box from an appliance; etc.

Encourage solo reading with a reading incentive program, such as "Book It" (the child reads or is read to for so many hours a month and earns a coupon for a free mini-pizza at Pizza Hut). Another free incentive program is Book Adventure.
Book It = http://www.bookitprogram.com/
Book Adventure = http://www.bookadventure.org/


Ideas for Reading Aloud
Use book lists from the Sonlight Curriculum or 1000 Good Books for engaging, exciting and well-written books.
Sonlight = www.sonlight.com
1000 Good Books = http://www.classical-homeschooling.org/celoop/1000.html

I have active boys, so allowing them to build with Legos, color, play with clay, sit/lay on a big bouncy ball, play around with quiet "fidget toys" like wikki sticks or pipe cleaners, magnets, "squishy balls", etc. helped keep their hands busy so their ears and minds could listen. : )

Sometimes enjoy a book on tape while driving in the car.


Enjoy your reading journey as a family! It's been THE most memorable and special part of homeschooling for us! Warmest regards, Lori D.

[TundraAcademy]

I read separately with my boys. One is 8, the other 5. With the older one we have two read aloud times. One for our history reading (we are reading about Balboa right now) and another fun read like the Great Brain series usually at bedtime or some other down time. He also reads independently for about 30 minutes each day. I'm trying to work on his fluency so I pick fun books that hold his interest like A to Z Mysteries by Ron Roy and sports books by Matt Christopher. Next year I'm hoping for him to do more nonfiction and maybe some classics, but I mostly want him to enjoy reading.

My 5 year old can't sit still for as long as my 8 year old. We follow Easy Classical Kindergarten curriculum some and I add picture books and a few longer books for our read aloud time. He is a beginner reader so he reads a few pages to me a day along with our phonics curriculum.

Hope that helps! I try to make reading fun and it is definitely the highlight of our days.

Wendy

[nestof3]

My boys are: Ben (near 7) and Nathan (8.5).

They each read from a "reader" aloud to me each day. Ben reads from Pathway Readers and Nathan reads from Christian Liberty Press Nature Readers.

I read from a chapter book -- one chapter a day of thay are longish, more chapters if they are short. I read the same book to each of them. Right now I am reading Ginger Pye.

I read some poetry each day.

I read lots of history and science books aloud to them as well.

I have just started allowing them to read on their beds silently from 9:00 to 9:30 (I actually let them read until 10:00 last night). It is my new motivation tool to get them hooked on reading independently. I tell them they can either go to sleep at 9:00 or read until 9:30.

Ben usually looks at maze books, I Spy books, or like last night read The Cat inthe Hat, but Nathan has been devouring books.

[gandpsmommy]

My dd is almost 7. She reads some books of her own choice to herself everyday for free reading. I don't schedule it or impose a time frame because she is really a self-starter and enjoys reading, but I would estimate that she probably reads for about 15 to 30 minutes. She reads a variety of different books, sometimes picture books (fiction and non-fiction), sometimes early reader books/first chapter books, sometimes longer chapter books (i.e. The Mouse and the Motorcycle).

I also require her to read to/with me for school. We select the book together. Right now she is reading Little House on the Prairie. We try to read one chapter a day. Some days she wants to read the whole chapter herself, but often she enjoys reading a page or two and then letting me read a page or two.

Right now she also enjoys reading the book we are using for science aloud to me. She loves reading picture books to her little brother, too.

I try to have a read-aloud going with her all the time, but lately we haven't been doing as well as we used to. My goal is to read one chapter a day to her.

I hope this helps.