What Our Homeschool Family Is Reading
We are a family that loves reading. Every morning I start our school day by reading aloud to all three kids. Sometimes it will be whatever Dart book A9 and I are working on, sometimes it will be something else of my choosing. Every evening, we end our our day in the same spot on the couch with me reading aloud a picture book or two. It's the perfect way to start and end our day and I have to believe it's a habit that has instilled a deep love of reading in all the members of our family. Today I'm going to share with you the books that have been keeping us entertained lately. I'll also share a bit about the relationship each member of our family has with reading (we're all very different) and how that shapes our taste in literature and the way we read.
A9 (9-year-old boy)
Learning to read was a challenge for A9. While he has consistently remained on grade level and improved his skills each year, reading and writing are areas he just has to work much harder at compared to other subjects. We suspect he has dyslexia, but he has not been formally diagnosed. He does participate in a reading/phonics program geared at children with dyslexia and we've seen a great improvement in his skills and confidence since he started. My number one goal for him is not that he becomes an advanced reader, but that he retains his love of reading and continues to pick up books for pleasure. So far, we are on track with that. He still loves reading and spends about half an hour lost in a book of his choosing every night before bed, which I consider a huge win. He currently loves comedic books - anything that will make him laugh and entertain him with wild plot points and zany characters. Here's what he is currently into:
Peanut, Butter, and Crackers book series
Mr. Lemoncello's Very First Game
A7 (7-year-old girl)
A7 is an advanced reader. She has taken to reading with ease and little instruction/effort from me. She picks up on new phonics concepts/sounds almost automatically and lessons at her grade level are almost always too easy for her. Right now she loves reading about characters she can relate to (elementary-aged girls) and their different experiences and adventures. She also loves animals, comedy, and heartwarming tales.
Baby-sitter's Little Sister series
The Adventures of Sophie Mouse
C3 (3-year-old boy)
C3 is, well, three. He loves being read to, flipping through picture books, search-and-find books, and anything with sounds and buttons. While I don't ever attempt to force him to listen to the more advanced read-alouds I do with the two older children, he almost always chooses to. He is often the first one snuggled at my side as I open up a chapter book and start reading and I'm always impressed with how he can comprehend the various plot points and talk about what's going on in the story. One of his favorite books we read this school year was Charlotte's Web and he was able to identify all the characters and follow along with the main parts of the story. Here are some of his favorite picture books:
The Berenstein Bears books
Me (mom)
Most people who know me know that reading and writing are my passion. I've been an avid reader (and writer) since childhood, I was an English major in college, a writing tutor, and a journalist, and I've belonged to more book clubs than I can count. I love words, stories, poetry, and all things literature. Now, as a busy homeschool mom of three, I don't get as much time to read as I would like, but I'm still almost always reading something. It just takes me a lot longer to finish books these days. Here's what I'm currently into:
Iron Flame (sequel to Fourth Wing)
So there you have it: the books that have been filling up our time, minds, and hearts lately. I hope to do a post soon about our summer reading plans (let me know if that’s something you’re interested in). Until then, happy reading!
Peace,
Maddie