Between the flurry of extra activity, a plan for science that we shelved before we even started (more on that in a later post), and a summer virus that glued a few of my students to the couch, our school year has not started in a way I had pictured.
We are implementing a new idea this year, though, a tiny habit that will stick despite the crazies of life. I am reading aloud for pleasure 10 minutes a day. Inspired by Read Aloud Revival podcast, every day at lunch time I open a book and read to whoever will listen. I'm only requiring that Ben and Alaine listen, but anyone is welcome, and most of the time, my older kids and teen stay, too.
Ten minutes a day...I can commit to that. I don't have to finish a chapter or check books off of a list. This isn't working towards our history credit. I just need to read for ten minutes, then put the book down and go about my day. (It's worth clicking here to see how many books you could read by devoting just 10 minutes a day.)
Ten minutes a day...I can commit to that. I don't have to finish a chapter or check books off of a list. This isn't working towards our history credit. I just need to read for ten minutes, then put the book down and go about my day. (It's worth clicking here to see how many books you could read by devoting just 10 minutes a day.)
We're starting with Little House in the Big Woods because my younger ones have never heard it and I'm planning to move all the way through the series. Ben, who has never loved to sit still and listen, doesn't complains because...ten minutes. He even says that he is enjoying the book. He has never said that about reading aloud a chapter book. Today when I read the part about Grandpa, the sled, and the pig, I watched out of the corner of my eye as Ben stopped with his sandwich mid-way to his mouth until he heard what was going to happen!
Ten minutes. Want to join me?
I love doing this too! Tim and I take turns reading a "just for fun" book a chapter at a time each evening. I also added a picture book read aloud to our morning time. I get to choose these from the library and while they are generally better literature than my kids might pick, they aren't necessarily for school.
ReplyDeleteThis summer we got into the habit of reading picture books in the morning, too. We used to read them all the time, but last June when I had morning sickness, reading made it worse so we stopped and never picked it up regularly again.
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