4Real Forums: Scheduling read alouds

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KC in TX
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Posted: Jan 31 2006 at 10:29pm \| IP Logged

When do you schedule your read alouds into your day? I can't seem to find the time to get to it. Sometimes if I'm lucky and can finish a meal while it's hot, I will read while the children eat, but that doesn't always happen (especially without dh away right now). I would like to get an idea of when most of you do this. I want desperately to read at least 30 minutes a day, but am having trouble putting it into our routine.

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Molly Smith
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Posted: Feb 01 2006 at 5:12am \| IP Logged

We just started doing our chapter book read alouds in the morning. We start sometime between 8:30 and 9 with prayers immediately followed by the chapter book. This was the only way to guarantee it would be done. We're usually finished with our lessons by lunch, and the children are anxious to get on with their day...so we save the picture books for lunchtime.

I really gave daily tea time a good effort and tried to read a chapter book then, but honestly it was an interruption for the children (I hate to interrupt 5 children playing nicely together

) and I wanted them to look forward to the read aloud time. We still strive for daily tea time, but we just chat.

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Molly Smith in VA
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Mary G
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Posted: Feb 01 2006 at 5:32am \| IP Logged

We do ours in the morning after "table time" (math and phonics/spelling) just for the the littles (Thomas, Maggie and JP). We also do a different read-aloud book during lunch -- I don't eat (I eat later) and read while they eat.

We have not gotten back to evening read-alouds since the hubbub of the holidays

but I'll try to start that up again soon. Dh loves to read to the littles just before bed, though so they get read to again then.

Hope this helps!

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Kelly
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Posted: Feb 01 2006 at 6:39am \| IP Logged

After dinner, before bedtime, in front of the fireplace. Occasionally with hot chocolate. Very cosy!

Kelly in FL (yes, we DO have fireplaces!)

Natalia
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Posted: Feb 01 2006 at 8:02am \| IP Logged

We usually have several read alouds going at the same time. What have worked for us this year is this:

In the morning, right after prayer time and while the eat breakfast, I read our religion read aloud (currently St. Isaac Jogues) . After that they go and work on the things that they do by themselves. At about 11:00 we have history and I read our history read aloud (taken either from Sonlight or from TWTM activity guide suggestions) and then after lunch we read our purely for fun -not attached- to- any -subject read aloud (currently Winter Holidays). Sometimes I do this last read aloud while they eat and I eat later.

If I preread a book sometimes I have my dh read it to them at night so I don't have to read it again.

At night time is usually the time I read to my preschooler. I also read to him during the day but the bed time story is more of a routine.

Natalia

lapazfarm
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Posted: Feb 01 2006 at 8:58am \| IP Logged

If we have a unit-study related read-aloud, usually a picture book, we do it first thing (after feeding horses and ourselves). I do the math read-aloud at lunch (currently The Man Who Counted), and a chapter or two from our current novel (Kidnapped)in evenings before bed. I also try to read a storybook to the preschooler before naptime.
All of it doesn't happen every day, but usually we get to a couple of read alouds a day.

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Theresa
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Willa
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Posted: Feb 01 2006 at 9:55am \| IP Logged

KC, when I've gotten out of the habit of regular read-alouds it's always a jump to get back into it.

Our traditional reading hours are:
-- To start the academic part of the day --like at 9 am usually motivating for the kids and helps them settle into quieter mode. Restless kids can get out their art notebooks and draw or color while I'm reading.

-- Naptime (I read to the littlies then) and sometimes to an older kid once the "babies" are resting.

-- While dinner is cooking in the late afternoon (sometimes)

-- At bedtime or right after dinner cleanup when everything is slowing down.

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Rachel May
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Posted: Feb 01 2006 at 12:55pm \| IP Logged

We're having an awful time with this right now too. This week I've started reading to the boys and having them read to me once the littles go down for their naps. Sometimes, if we get things together in time and I'm not too crabby, the kids will all go up to bed a half hour early and look at books. About 15 minutes in, I'll go up and read the Black Arrow. Neither of these is happening as often as I'd like.

I have to force myself to be less busy and sit down with picture books anymore. The poor littles definitely get shorted on their picture book quota, but I know once the baby comes and breastfeeding forces me to sit down, we'll have lots of cuddles and reading.

Also, I don't know if this counts, but we usually have a couple of longer audio books from the library around. If I'm cooking lunch or busy after naps, they will listen to those. We take them in the car too. What a blessing they were when in took us 1 1/2 hours to go three miles the other day! Right now it's Brer Rabbit by Julius Lester and read by the author. (It's an update of the original).

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Rachel
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lapazfarm
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Posted: Feb 01 2006 at 1:56pm \| IP Logged

Rachel,
I know what you mean about the littles getting shorted on the picture books. When my oldest were little it was many, many books-dozens-every day. With the middle one it was less, but still a few daily. With the current little I am lucky to get to it once a day and sometimes I don't. Sometimes I feel the laters were shorted, but I'm sure there are things I do with them that I didn't with my olders.
To everything there is a season...

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Theresa
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KC in TX
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Posted: Feb 01 2006 at 3:28pm \| IP Logged

lapazfarm wrote:

That's how I have been feeling. Jordan has been the hardest one to adjust to thus far. I don't know if it's because there's so much more to do now or what, but I'm having the hardest time getting to the things I want to do. You've all given me many ideas to try. I especially like reading during lunch and eating later.

Thank you all.

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Sarah
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Posted: Feb 01 2006 at 4:22pm \| IP Logged

I start the school day with a chapter book for the older boys. I read for about 45 minutes and I call it our unit time--reading on whatever subject we are studying. Right now we are reading about explorers, I'm reading "De Tonti of the Iron Hand. I start the day with it because it never got done.

In the afternoon, I'll read picture books to the little ones, and the olders have the option to listen, too.

At first I was worried I wouldn't get to othe things, but we do get it done.

I fall asleep reading chapter books in the afternoon- and the younger kids are usually too clingy.

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humanaevitae
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Posted: Feb 02 2006 at 12:36am \| IP Logged

Now that I'm no longer breastfeeding I find that I don't read picture books as much either. I admit to having the 3rd grader read them so I can do something else....am I the only mom that does this? Yes, I feel guilty...but I feel guilty about so many things already that it is just added to the list.

Nicole

Rachel May
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Posted: Feb 02 2006 at 1:10pm \| IP Logged

humanaevitae wrote:

I admit to having the 3rd grader read them so I can do something else....am I the only mom that does this?

I'm waiting with baited breath for my oldest to be able to read that well so that I can have them start doing this.

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Rachel
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lapazfarm
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Posted: Feb 02 2006 at 1:45pm \| IP Logged

Nicole,
You are not the only one! I'm all for delegation!
Actually, the olders seem to enjoy reading to the littles, plus it gives them practice in reading aloud, the little one enjoys it, and I get more stuff done! Everybody wins!

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Theresa
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teachingmom
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Virginia Bluebells

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Posted: Feb 02 2006 at 8:02pm \| IP Logged

I have to say that we are doing our best ever for chapter book read alouds in my 7+ years of homeschooling. I also must admit that I am weak right now in picture book reading. My 3yo gets one or two at her naptime. My 6yo gets them when she asks, which isn't too often. She listens to our chapter books but, I know she would benefit from having more picture books.

We sort of have to do chapter books when my 3yo is otherwise entertained since she is very distracting. We have gotten into the habit of starting read alouds close to noon when 3yo dd is busy playing in the basement or (more likely, I'm afraid

) watching a video down there. When she comes up, one of the older girls makes her some lunch while I keep reading. Our family room and kitchen are sort of one large open space, so this works well. When my 3yo is finished eating, I'll take a break if we still haven't finished our read alouds and take her upstairs, read a short story to her, and put her down for her nap. Then we finish read aloud and the rest of us have lunch around 1 or 1:30.

We have been reading about two chapters per day in each of two or three different books using this method. The books are usually a history chapter book (Lissa's Charlotte books now), a non-fiction history book (not every day), and another literature book.

Some days we read again before bed. This is a different literature book -- The Penderwicks at present. A big thanks to Lissa for the heads up on this book. We are really enjoying it.

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Erin
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Posted: Feb 05 2006 at 12:34am \| IP Logged

The year before last we always did our read alouds before lunch. This was a great time. Then I had more children to work around and last year it didn't happen much

I believe this affected our enthusiasm for learning.

I've been determined to have it this year and have been at 2pm after my rest.

But its not working the best in that the three youngest are listening but not the older two. I'd really like them to join in. But they're off doing their thing then. Usually readin to themselves. I'm reading all your times with interest.

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Molly Smith
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Posted: Feb 05 2006 at 5:32am \| IP Logged

humanaevitae wrote:

I admit to having the 3rd grader read them so I can do something else....am I the only mom that does this? Yes, I feel guilty...but I feel guilty about so many things already that it is just added to the list.

Nicole

Nicole, I just started doing the same thing with my 2nd grade-ish son and it's working out great! He reads to his 3yo sister. She hangs on every word and doesn't care if he messes up! I don't feel guilty about it one bit--he is required to read 2 books each day (one his choice and one my choice), and she loves being read to, so everyone wins!

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Molly Smith in VA
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Lissa
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Posted: Feb 05 2006 at 5:41am \| IP Logged

I have really been enjoying this thread. It is so interesting to see the different ways people structure their days.

Around here, it sometimes seems as though read-alouds are all I do! For several months now, I've been having some pregancy-related mobility problems, and I'm not up to nature walks (a pity with this gorgeous weather we've had) or big art/cooking/science projects. Right now, the kids are on their own for that kind of thing. But what I CAN do is read. Since I'm in one of my "high tide" phases, we're doing a fairly structured Charlotte Mason-style reading & narration thing.

Between 9:00 and noon every day, we gather for morning prayers and then I read aloud from the following books: Genesis, Gospel of Mark, 57 Saints for Children (one saint per week, so a few pages of the story each day), poetry (either Frost or Longfellow, alternating), Our Island Story (twice a week), This Country of Ours (twice a week), D'Aulaire's Norse Gods, Famous Men of Greece (twice a week), 50 Famous Tales (twice a week), a picture book for the 5yo, and a chapter from whatever novel we are currently reading. I finished The Penderwicks this week (such a delight!) and haven't decided what I'm starting next.

In between the various books (and oral narrations following many of them), we sing, do our German & ASL lessons, do picture study, maybe do a little math or copywork, take run-around-the-house breaks (inside the house or out, depending on the weather), change 2yo's diaper, draw pictures, etc. The morning passes in a flash! Oh, and I mustn't forget our easy geography lessons with our new friend Mr. Putty.

After lunch is a two-hour period of quiet time. The 2yo naps, I read a picture book to the 5yo and she naps, and then I take a half hour to eat my own lunch & check my email.

Then I spend one-on-one time with the two older girls. I'm reading Old Yeller to the 7yo. The 10yo and I do lots of different things together but since none of it is read-alouds I guess that isn't pertinent to this discussion.

At 2:30 we all gather again for Shakespeare-and-snack time. We're reading As You Like It. And then I kick them all outside to play for the rest of the afternoon.

At bedtime Daddy is the read-aloud guy. Usually he reads to all three girls together but right now he has separate books going with each of them. Which makes for a very long bedtime routine!

In many ways my pregnancy hip troubles have been a blessing for our family, because without the option of doing lots of active stuff (art projects, field trips, nature hikes) I had to rethink our routine, and our days have been so rich and fun this winter as a result! When this thread popped up, I realized that read-alouds are maybe 80% of what I'm doing with my children at this point in time.

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Mary G
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Posted: Feb 05 2006 at 7:04am \| IP Logged

Lissa,

This is a great "peek at your day" -- thanks for sharing. I tend to do lots of read-alouds with mine, which of course gets leads to all kinds of discussions and rabbit trails (and we basically cover all subjects, somehow!)

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MaryG
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cathhomeschool
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Posted: Feb 05 2006 at 10:59am \| IP Logged

Lissa, your schedule sounds just lovely! Most of our schooling for the fall consisted of read-alouds and books on tape because we were re-flooring and the house literally got turned upside-down. Now that the house is a *little* more composed, I hope to get back to the messier projects.

Regardless of what we're doing and where we are, though, (we just got back from a 5 week trip to Florida) we are pretty consistent about reading aloud at bedtime and at quiet time. I consider these reading times (3-4 hours total) to be a huge part of our schooling, so we work hard to try not to miss them. The older two do read assigned chapter books aloud to each other while I'm cooking or cleaning. They often read to the littles, too. As Theresa said, I consider this to be great practice for the older boys, especially for the 10yo who struggles more with pronunciation/spelling. (I suspect that when he reads silently, he skims over long words and then has trouble spelling because he doesn't really *look* at words carefully when he reads to himself.)

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