Read Aloud Challenge Update 4/7

This past week I received my copy of Read for the Heart by Sarah Clarkson.  (Look for my review 5/27).  The timing is perfect (isn’t God’s timing perfect all the time?  I’m sure His hand was all over this as well!).  I know that reading aloud is wonderful for young children and I know that reading aloud as a family has many benefits but exactly why should I read aloud to my Teens?

Sarah Clarkson answers that question for me with this:

“Especially in the teenage years, it is vital that kids be immersed in epic stories.  Most teenagers stumble into a phase of restless desire that includes a yearning for adventure and a hunger for meaning.” (p.23)

She goes on to say that “books become a means of channeling and pouring that energy into a love for what is worthy and true.” (p. 24)

We have really scaled back the reading aloud time our family because the girls were reading so many books independently.  Even our curriculum no longer schedule Read Aloud time.  We chose those books because they were *great* literature.  I know that reading those books independently will also help them develop a love for what is worthy and true but there is something different that happens when the same book is read aloud.   There is time to process. Time to digest.  Time to discuss and explore.

The first week that I participated in the Read Aloud Challenge, I gave the girls some choices for a books.  One of those choices was Treasure Island.  The girls didn’t vote for that one to be first so my oldest started reading it on her own.  It was after all in her school schedule right?   Well I told her to STOP reading it!  It is *next* on my list of books to read aloud to the girls, especially the teenagers.

So what have I read aloud this week?

  • Daddy finished reading the Usborne World Wars Book to TailorBear.  He also read a chapter from the Landmark History of the American People vol 2 to her this week.
  • We continued reading from Nutrition 101
  • We finished the section on James Watt and begin the section on Robert Fulton in our ebook Great Inventors and Their Inventions
  • We started reading some very short stories from the Yesterday Classics reprint in epub format of Fifty Famous Stories Retold
  • We continued reading from Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH.

I can’t say that we read *everyday* which is my goal.  I’m going for consistency of daily reading.  And I didn’t read anything that was geared for Supergirl.  We still have The Dutch Twins to read but I haven’t opened it this week.  She is, however, listening in as I read aloud to her sisters.

What are you reading this week?  Come join us at Footprints in the Butter where Debra has set up a link for us to join her as she challenges herself to read aloud to her children.  This week’s Reading Aloud Challenge hosted by Debra can be found here.

I’d love to hear what you are reading aloud this week! And let me know if you join in the challenge!

Comments

  1. I got my post written this week. I like to see what other people are reading.
    http://mcclanahan7.blogspot.com/2011/04/reading-aloud-challenge-april-7.html

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  2. It looks like you have pretty consistently been reading some good books all week. I should read from Baldwin's Fifty Stories this next week. I have read some of them before--or perhaps I only assigned them to be read from the computer. They do work well as read-alouds, don't they?

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  3. Ahhh Tess, no read alouds assigned in their schedule? I dread that day...I don't want them to grow up so fast! We just love reading together so much, we can't let it go.

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  4. That Sarah Clarkson quote is perfect. And it is why I disagree with SL and their dropping of read-alouds in the high school cores. I absolutely will be reading some of the Core 100 books aloud.

    Glad you are participating, and I'm glad you are throwing out some motivation for why I'm reading aloud.

    I failed with my younger kids this week too...

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  5. I have seen the Read Aloud Challenge on a couple of blogs now. I need to start this at our house too. SOunds like so much fun!!

    New follower from the TOS Walk.

    Have a great week!!!
    Renita
    www.krazykuehnerdays.com

    ReplyDelete

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