Our First Semester Read Aloud Books
- Annie Schrader
- Jun 20, 2018
- 4 min read
A good majority of our school time centers around books. We try to weave a lot of our learning into the settings and plots of each story that we read. We always have a few chapter books going at a time. Some are meant to focus on whatever unit study or theme we are in, and others are just for fun.
If you haven't incorporated chapter book read alouds yet, and it feels daunting to do so, let me give you some tips that have helped us tremendously.
We most often read aloud during breakfast and/or lunch. I've found that these are the times my girls are most interested in hearing stories, and the preoccupation of eating a meal and expectation of staying in their seats until their meal is finished helps.
Allow them to fidget. I've been shocked at how much even our 3 1/2 year old retains when I think she hasn't been listening. If they are able to move or do something with their hands such as coloring, building with Legos, eating a meal, etc., it's not as difficult to get them to stick around while you read. In fact, there have been studies that show fidgeting is a good sign!
If you pick a book and are a few chapters in, and they just don't seem to be into it...scrap it. I've even incorporated this into my own reading. I used to be dead set on finishing a book that I started, but since having kids, my read alone time is so limited. I hate to waste it on something I'm not enjoying. I give it a good try, but if it's not something I love, or my kids are loving, I start something new! If you haven't yet started reading aloud to your children, let me give you a few resources. I have found them to be invaluable! First is the book The Read Aloud Handbook, by Jim Trelease. He breaks up his favorite read aloud books into book type (ex: picture books, short novels, poetry, etc.) and then gives an age recommendation for each book. We have found so many treasures through using this handbook. The second resource that I highly recommend is the Read Aloud Revival website, blog and podcast. Sarah Mackenzie has the most intuitive beat on children's books and she has so many resources available. We are not members yet, but you don't have to be to receive so many of her resources for free. For those of you with toddlers and those still very much into picture books, she puts out a book list for each month that is amazing!
So you guys, with all of that being said, here's what we have read in this first semester of school. I've added the links to purchase for reference, and my own personal age recommendations.
Age recommendation: 5+
I was a little hesitant that this series might be a bit too old for the girls (especially Hattie), but oh my goodness how they have loved it. There has been so much to pull from the history in these books and they have loved learning about what their own lives would have looked like if they had lived during this time.
Age recommendation: 5+
The second book in this lovely series that proved to be just as wonderful as the first. Did anyone else read this when they were younger? I loved them then, and I love them now!
Age recommendation: 5+
In this third book Laura Ingalls Wilder switches gears from her own family and tells the childhood story of her husband Almanzo Wilder. His childhood was quite different from Laura's, which brought about a lot of discussion. This one is longer than the first two, and I think especially boys would be interested in hearing about Almanzo's life on a dairy farm, although my girls really enjoyed it too!
Age recommendation: K-3
If you're looking for a good intro to read alouds with your kids, this is a good choice. It's a fast read about a family that are smaller than mice! Engaging and fun!
Age recommendation: P-2
This one. Absolutely amazing! Another great intro to read alouds because it has short chapters, illustrations, and is the most exciting adventure story. My girls absolutely loved this book. I didn't realize at the time, but there are two others stories in this series and they are currently on their way to us in the mail to read for this next semester.
Age recommendation: K-3
This is a compilation of three funny and imaginative stories about a farming family in Iowa. We laughed a lot with this one!
Age recommendation: K-2
This is another series by the lovely Lois Lowry. Gooney Bird Greene reminded us of a modern day Pippi Longstocking (side note--the Pippi Longstocking trilogy is one we read about a year ago and it is by far some of our girls very favorites. So much so, that we are currently re-reading it.) Gooney is super funny and quirky and is a quick and fun read!
Age recommendation: P-2
A short adventure story with repetition. Perfect for young ones!
Age recommendation: K-4
This was by far one of the best books we've read so far. Both girls and boys alike will be enthralled with the adventure this little deer mouse sets out on. The vocabulary in it is a little more advanced. At first I wondered if that would keep the girls from being engaged with it, but instead it only made them question what certain words meant, and that's a win in my book! They love, love, loved this book and we were all sad when it was over. The great news...it's a series! We are currently on the wait list at our local library for the next book.
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