Read This Book Out Loud
Life and learning have carried on over the past few months even without a record of either in words.
For today, a quick review of a book that we’ve all fallen head over heels for in the Anteater house. Experiencing books aloud has brought us much joy over the years, long past the time that my nine year started reading on her own.
The Indian and the Cupboard contains all of the elements that make for a great family read-aloud. Adventure, characters that jump off the page and demand a great performance, anxious and hilarious scenes, and a story that was enjoyed from ages 5 to 32(note: probably the first chapter book that our 5 year old boy didn’t say “next you’ll read a book for me, right mommy” when I pulled it out, this time it was his book too).
When Omri receives a cast-off plastic indian from his best friend he tries to shrug off his disappointment, only to discover that with the help of an old cupboard and a family heirloom key, it will be his most memorable present ever. After studying Indians this year, we all appreciated that Little Bear was not just a generic Indian but an Iroquois who refuses a teepee and builds a longhouse instead. The care to detail doesn’t necessarily carry over to Boone, the cowboy, but he’s really too loveable to let that matter long. This story opens-wide the possibility of favorite toys being brought to life and the possible, unnexpected consequences when Omri and Patrick discover just how real their toys can become. Note: From a parent’s perspective, this made a better read aloud because there were a few words and phrases along with a playful emphasis at the end on Boone’s cowboy-ish need for a drink that I skipped over without losing any of the grand adventure.
Add it to the summer read aloud list.
Other books you might consider reading aloud if you stopped sharing stories after the Dr. Seuss years(these will appeal to various ages, you know your family the best):
- My Father’s Dragon
- The Invention of Hugo Cabret
- Peter Pan
- Anne of Green Gables
- The Narnia Series
- Mrs. Piggle Wiggle
- Mr. Poppers Penguins
- A Wrinkle in time
- The Hobbit
Speaking of books, I was out just this morning combing garage sales for our family bookstore, our idea for spurring on young readers.
reading together last spring
Keeping Track of Good Reads
My middlest daughter has gained the most ground with her reading whenever we’ve offered an incentive of some kind. While her older sister is reading a chapter book every two days, Jellybean still bounces around from book to book, never really seeing one all the way through. I’ve been trying to think of a way for the girls to keep a record of the books they’ve read.
I found these fun book forms tonight, they look like a creative way to summarize a book. I’m thinking about offering some time of incentive for every 5 log pages completed. No, they won’t have to do one on every book they read, and I might make the number higher for the 9 year old. Our summer bookstore will be opening again in a few months, so I’m thinking of a simpler reward for the present moment. We’ve instituted a full hour of quietness at our house, removing play and audio books for those precious moments of peace. Maybe I’ll offer minutes of audio book time on fridays, I’ll have to think on it.
I printed several of each type of log and I’ll let them choose what strikes their fancy. They’ll keep their completed forms in a folder and then we can staple them together at the end of the year. I think I’ll also provide a blank list for recording the titles of books that aren’t entered into a form.
To view and print the six book logs, go here, click on any of the “logs”.
Jimmie also has some great resources for encouraging your child to dive, not just toe waggle, into a book.
Feed the Hungry Readers-Builder Edition
A few posts back I wrote about a great find for hungry book lovers-Books Children Love. We just picked up our first round of holds from the library. Books on performing plays, recycled trash art, a new-to-us George MacDonald story, and this source of inspiration.
Block Building for Children by Lester Walker:
I’m amazed at the 101 uses of simple wooden blocks since they entered our house 4 children and 8 years ago. The same set has prompted endless imaginative play(a great toy is one that can become anything you want it to be). When I saw this book in the list under architecture in Books Children Love, I ordered in for my visual/kinesthetic boy who’s been building roads and tracks since he was 1. Today the kids and I flipped through it and oohed and aahed at the airport, train station, skyscrapers and other ideas. Warning-this books will cause block envy. Now we want to double our block capacity and get some of the wedges and curved blocks shown in the book. On the other hand the kids weren’t too daunted, they looked for something they could pull off and then just did the best they could with what they had. ”Let’s just look through it and then take the ideas and make our own things,” said the 7 year old when faced with the limitations.
Here’s the first of their creations: The Greek Temple(with playmobile gods, of course)
Later there was a house with doors, windows, and several rooms. I think there were also robbers and a dog shop on the roof, but that wasn’t in the book.
Update: Whoops! I wrote this post late at night and didn’t check my facts. I didn’t actually find this book in Books Children Love, but instead caught a glance of it on the side bar here.
Holiday Book Basket-All Wrapped Up
Most of you know that we have a tiny, barely noticeable, really-we-could-give-it-up-anytime, passion for books in our family. Last year we put together a winter basket of our favorite books, which gave us countless hours of cozy couch time. This year we’re continuing the tradition with an added tint of pleasure.
I came across the idea to choose 24 books, wrap each book, and add a number tag to each package. Suddenly our winter book basket is an advent countdown. Last night Mr. Darcy and I sat up wrapping packages, and I said “Honey, you are so crazy and sweet to be sitting here doing this with me instead of telling me I’m nuts.” I should mention it was the far side of midnight and the night before he’d been at the E.R. with our 9 year old. He replied smilingly, “Honey, we’ve been married for ten years, I know all about your ideas.”
We’ve been adding a christmas book here and there for 9 years so we happen to have more than 24 books. However, you may be be at the beginning of your collection. Try scouting out thrift stores and used bookstores, look for special seasonal sales, or get really thrifty and wrap up a new batch of christmas library books each week.
To further your christmas journey into books check out Crafty Crow’s great book/advent post. I’ll be adding several of hers to our library list.
We also enjoyed this lapbook/unit study, The Legend of the Candy Cane a few years ago, free at Homeschool Share.
For more great ideas about reading and advent, head to Real Learning. After enjoying her links, scroll down and look in the left sidebar for a list of great christmas books. This post includes a review of family favorites.
Happy Holiday Reading!
Sam Sat on Mat
I love that I get to be the person who teaches my children how to read. I love being there for the first word, the first sentence, the first Dr. Seuss book, and the first time they read a chapter without giving up. It’s like watching their minds open a little wider with each step, a gateway to stories and information.
Even though I would never give up this un-paid gig, it hasn’t been an easy task.
“I can’t do it,” with a huff.
“You read it mommy.”
“I can’t do it!” with a loud siren sound.
With our first child, the path to reading was completely new territory for her and for me(learning for her, and teaching for me). The right books, curriculum, style of teaching, all of these seemed mysterious and I knew there must be one right answer. Now I know, of course, that there are many right ways to go down this path, but at that point I hadn’t walked with a child to the other side. I wondered if I’d chosen the correct tools and even more, I wondered if she would even learn to read at all.
My eldest learned with Sing, Spell, Read, and Write. She grasped the phonics rules quickly, appreciating their neat and tidy rules. The next daughter didn’t care much for the tidy rules and clear boudaries(and yes that trait does flow in the rest of her life as well). Once she got past the basic letter sounds, she complained her way through the phonics lessons for the length of kindergarten. In the summer, when we offered her some reading incentives, she leapt up several levels by sheer force of will. And followed suit again the next summer. Just don’t ask her the “I before E except after C” rule.
The next child to enter the reading gates is The Boy. I haven’t been in a hurry to teach him this skill. After schooling his sisters, I had an advantage. I knew the question wasn’t if he would read, it was simply of a matter when. This knowledge makes for a much more relaxed teacher mama. Until recently he’s been the snuggly little brother who follows around after the girls. He been mommy’s little boy. But lately he’s been coming into his own and one way is his readiness for new skills. He started by pointing to specific words in books, “What’s that word mommy?” I told him the word. “And this word?” And it went on like this with me convinced that he would get bored, and him still asking two pages later.
Drawing letters, playing alphabet games, surprising me with the letter sounds, and then, two days ago, he read his first book. And for the third, and no less exciting time, I sat with one of my children as they experienced reading for the first time. For all of the activities and practice, the beginning of reading still feels like magic.
Some of the tools we’ve used:
Melissa and Doug’s Alphabet Puzzle
Melissa and Doug’s Alphabet Magnets
The Sweet ABC’s
I happened across this idea sunday night and just knew J would enjoy this game. Learn with a game and some leftover candy from the holdiday weekend? He did enjoy it and once he went through his candy, he asked if he could play again, this time with his sister’s. See more details here.
