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Mackfam
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| Posted: March 12 2011 at 9:02pm | IP Logged
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I wanted to start a 2011 thread for encouraging each other with resources and sharing ideas and support in reading aloud.
How are read alouds going in your family??? Most families are looking for signs of spring, and living out the Lenten season - what are you reading aloud?
We read aloud a good bit throughout Advent, but have really let reading aloud slide lately. My 3 yo can make reading aloud challenging!!
Our current read alouds - we're on a non-fiction kick:
Greenhead by Louis Darling (1954) - classic and wonderful book on the life of a Mallard Duck. Delightfully informative! We've learned so much and really enjoy Mr. Darling's writing style. We're finishing this up in the next week and then we'll be starting....
Birds and their Nests by Olive Earle (1952) - I found this book by looking on the back cover of Greehnhead.  It's lovely though and will be wonderful as a springtime read.
Conferences to Children on Practical Virtue by Abbe P. Verdrie (1912, recently reprinted by Refuge of Sinners Publishing, the publishing arm of Mother of Our Saviour) - This book has been wonderful so far, though it is above my little people. My older children and I are getting much from it though, so I'd say 8+ for this book. The book is divided into the following chapters:
Obedience
Work
Piety
Kindness
Mortification
Little Apostles
Character
Good and Bad Character
Conscience
Good Will
Christian Prudence
Frankness
Friendship
Good Reading
Wonderful, wonderful book on building virtue! Abbe Verdries addresses the child directly in this book, so it works well as a read aloud, and prompts wonderful discussion afterward.
I was checking out some of the new offerings at Bethlehem Books and took advantage of their March sale, adding some new books to our lineup! I was suprised at the number of books they've added since I last visited! Can't wait to start reading some of those!
What are you reading aloud this spring?  Come back and update the 2011 thread throughout the year as you discover great read alouds! And don't forget to check out the great resources from the read aloud compilation thread!!
Edited to say that I made this a sticky to live at the top of the Living Literature Forum for easy reference.
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Jen Mackintosh
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aforb001
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| Posted: March 17 2011 at 1:23pm | IP Logged
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Jen,
Thanks for starting this list. It will be a great resource. I love any lists of books!
Our current read aloud is Little House on the Prairie.
We usually have several read alouds going at the same time. We just finished Daulaire's George Washington since we are doing US History.
Adele
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SuzanneG
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We are reading the first of the Caroline Years books: Little House in Brookfield.
And, my husband is reading The Bears of Blue River aloud.
Audio: B is for Betsy.. My little ones really like this.
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Suzanne in ID
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: March 17 2011 at 2:19pm | IP Logged
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I'm reading the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and Winnie the Pooh, and dh is reading The Hobbit.
And yes, the 2.5 year old makes it really hard! Sometimes he'll fall asleep, but when he doesn't, he doesn't. stop. talking. Ay yi yi.
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Lindsay
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We're in a lull but I was thinking of maybe starting some Mark Twain.. like Huckleberry Finn or Tom Sawyer.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
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We're in the last chapter of Winnie the Pooh and reading through the original Andersen's tales with the boys.
With my girls we are going through the Little House on the Prairie series (currently reading By the Shores of Silver Lake) and the Clara D. Pierson books (currently Among the Meadow People)
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Jenny
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We're reading The Neverending Story for the older ones (11 and 13) and Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver for my 8 year old. These books are originally German, but are also available in English. We are reading them in German. Our read-aloud for the whole family is Maida's Little Shop published in 1910 and very sweet.
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We're reading our way through Hilda van Stockum's Bantry Bay Series.
Finished reading Cottage at Bantry Bay and we are currently reading Franice on the Run.
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Erin
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We just finished Around the World in Eighty Days on cd- loved it!
Now we have started Redwall on cd in the car
At lunch I read to the kids, and we are on the last few pages of The Moffat Museum. My kids will be so sad to say goodbye to the Moffats and Cranbury. But- aha! I have Ginger Pye stashed and they don't know it yet
At bedtime, my dd and I just finished Besty and Tacy Go DownTown and have started the Martha Years with Little House in the HighLands
My ds is working through The Rose Years with dh at night... I know they're in the 3rd or 4th book out of that.
Fun thread!
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We are meandering through the lovely hedgerows of The Wind in the Willows, having just finished St. John Bosco: Blessed Friend of Youth.
We are also enjoying Hillyer's A Child's Geography of the World at breakfast several days a week. We are still working through the chapters on Ancient Greece in The Picturesque Tales of Progress.
Our morning prayer time is being enhanced with reading Marigold Hunt's The Life of Our Lord. We are about to finish this and will go on to My Path to Heaven about mid-Lent.
Plus (should I admit this?), we are finishing up a totally goofy (and, I suppose, "twaddly") book we checked out of the local library entitled Another Whole Nother Story, which has us laughing at the frantic antics of a time-traveling family and their hairless dog seeking to reverse a centuries-old "curse". As the cover says,"if Lemony Snicket and Dave Barry got married and had a baby, this book would be it." Not much in the way of educational or moral lessons here, but, hey, it was February and we needed a lift! Best single word summary for this read: ludicrous
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Caroline
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stellamaris wrote:
| We are also enjoying Hillyer's A Child's Geography of the World at breakfast several days a week. |
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Caroline, how do you like this? Are you doing anything else with it? Like map drilling or notebooking? This is on schedule to use as our geography for my younger elementary kids starting in the fall.
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Jenny
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In the morning, I am reading My Path to Heaven with the children. I want to scan the pictures and give them each their own copy to look at (and eventually color) while I read and ask the questions. A couple of years ago, one of my irl friends significantly enlarged the illustrations and had them printed for children to color at a homeschool get together.
During lunch, I am reading a story (or two, or three) from Angel Food for Boys and Girls.
My husband is reading Banner in the Sky to the older children in the evenings.
Before bed, I am currently reading picture books about knights and/or saints to my little boys (their choice).
Jen, my husband really enjoys reading the titles from Bethlehem Books.
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Christine
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pmeilaen
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stellamaris wrote:
| We are still working through the chapters on Ancient Greece in The Picturesque Tales of Progress. |
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I'm curious, do you know how this series compares to other living history series or books, e.g. "The Story of Mankind," "A Little History of the World," or books by Helene A. Guerber?
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Eva
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Grace&Chaos wrote:
stellamaris wrote:
| We are also enjoying Hillyer's A Child's Geography of the World at breakfast several days a week. |
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Caroline, how do you like this? Are you doing anything else with it? Like map drilling or notebooking? This is on schedule to use as our geography for my younger elementary kids starting in the fall. |
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Jenny, we are not doing anything extra with this book right now, however it is a great book to which to add extra material.
My suggestions for enriching this book:
1. The book begins with a brief overview of the globe, the hemispheres and the cultural (linguistic) variety on Earth. To this section, I'd add a map of the world, coloring all the continents and you could add a book like:
Maps and Globes
2. The next sections of the book cover the various continents in more detail, beginning with North America.
Each chapter is relatively short. To each chapter, it would be fun to add:
*a map to color of the area discussed
*a few selected flags to color
*for older students, perhaps add resource, climate, or language groups maps. Vary maps-some political, some physical. Use the maps to work on basic map skills.
*add one or two related picture books for your younger students. For example, on the chapter on the Empire State Building, you might add:
The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge
The Man Who Walked Between the Towers
*add copywork, using either the picture books or A Child's Geography as your source. You could add other quotes, mottoes, or poetry from the areas you are studying as well.
*add a representative work of art for each area. Use for picture study.
This would be a really fun spine to use for a year's worth of elementary geography study! Now, I'm getting lots of ideas!!!! Maybe we'll use this again next year in more depth! Thanks for the inspiration!
ETA: I'd also include at least one saint from each continent for study!
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Caroline
Wife to dh 30+ yrs,ds's 83,85,89,dd's 91,95,ds's 01,01,02,grammy to 4
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stellamaris
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pmeilaen wrote:
stellamaris wrote:
| We are still working through the chapters on Ancient Greece in The Picturesque Tales of Progress. |
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I'm curious, do you know how this series compares to other living history series or books, e.g. "The Story of Mankind," "A Little History of the World," or books by Helene A. Guerber? |
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Eva, I haven't used the other books you mention, but I have seen Van Loon's and used A Child's History of the World, which seems somewhat similar. I can't really compare, but I will post a long review later today over in the "Across Time and Place" forum. I don't want to totally highjack this thread! Sorry, Jennifer! 
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Caroline
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JuliaT
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We are experiencing a slump in our family read alouds. After a long time in this book, we are finishing up 'Our Canadian Girl--Marie Claire'. i'll be glad to move on to something else.
With my oldest, we are reading 'Huck Finn.' My ds and I are enjoying 'Then There Were Five' and with my youngest, we are just about finishing 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.'
In the car we are listening to 'Taran the Wanderer' the fourth book in the Chronicles of Prydain series.
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Julia
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Angel
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I have had a hard time reading aloud this year. I don't know why, but I'm trying to get going again.
To everyone, but mostly for the older kids: A Taste of Chaucer
For my little guys: Fairy Tales and Fables (lovely illustrations by Gyo Fujikawa
My dh just finished up reading The Blue Gonfalon at the First Crusade at bedtime. Now I think they are reading Peter Pan.
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Angela
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JaysFamily
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We're attempting Little House in the Big Woods. He fell asleep during the first chapter last night, so I'm not sure that he's quite ready for such a descriptive book. We'll try a couple of more chapters.
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Jaysfamily
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We're reading The Iron Spy right now...  . And, we're reading stories form The Family Easter Treasury.
The Saturdays on audio.
DH is reading Mountain Born.
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Suzanne in ID
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SuzanneG
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SuzanneG wrote:
| We're reading The Iron Spy right now... . |
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This is a GREAT read aloud!!!!!!! My girls are begging to read one of her The Glory of America books aloud....and I also just got The Search for the Madonna, which I've skimmed through and it looks really fun!
We are almost finished with Nacar...which everyone has really enjoyed. This should get added to our "boy-book-recommendations."
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Suzanne in ID
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4Real Forums : Living Literature
Topic: 2011 - Read Aloud Resources/Encouragement
