Reading Aloud

Salutations!

If I close my eyes, and sit very still I can feel the thick, green, plaid fabric of the old sofa underneath me and the warmth of the sun resting on the back of my neck and shoulders as it enters through the window above us.

We each have a reading book in our laps and on our turn we read aloud to the others. The three of us, together, enter a land of three different stories. The youngest has just mastered his first sentence from the Bob Books Set and brother and I shout out with cheers and an explosion of excitement. He confidently advances to the next page and the next, "Dot has a hat." The oldest, an advanced reader by now shares his book about a group of animals, and I finish with a selected Bible story.

We could have read all day. To be honest, some days we did. Math, and spelling just couldn't compete with the intimacy and camaraderie we shared while reading. It is a time I will never forget.

Nowadays, the oldest is away from home and the youngest and I have had to adjust to reading on our own. For a time, we read separately during a designated "free reading" hour. It didn't take long for me to feel like I was on a raft in the water, being pulled away by the current and wanting desperately to grip an outstretched limb to pull me in. To my delight, the youngest felt the same way and said to me, "I liked it better when we started with reading together everyday!"

He has grown into a young man and has surpassed beginning readers series. The high pitched squeals exclaiming, "MOM! I read the whole book!" have been replaced by a deepened and serious voice. However, he hasn't outgrown our mornings of hot beverages, the sun at our backs, and reading aloud. Neither one of us can wait to see how The Navigator ends.

Both boys have become avid readers. One thing I did right as a homeschooling mom was to teach my children to read and to read to them often.

If you are new to homeschooling, might I suggest Bob Books from Scholastic?
They were created by teacher, Bobby Lynn Maslen, and have been used globally. The first books start with the letters M, A, T, S, and add letters gradually. "Mat sat," or "Sam sat."

Let your little ones hear your voice. They will learn reading expression, and tone by mimicking you. What a joy to be imitated as a character from a good book! Don't be afraid to be silly and exaggerated!

Swinging with you,
Alis