Name: Spreading the Feast Gathering
Start: 2025-07-11T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-07-12T23:59:59-05:00
Location: LaGrange, KY

Tagged: Assigned reading, Evaluating narrations, parent reading, reading books with kids

This topic has 13 replies, 11 voices, and was last updated 11 years, 6 months ago by Claire.

Viewing 14 posts - 1 through 14 (of 14 total)

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Posts
November 27, 2013 at 7:55 pm
QuirkyMama
Participant
I’ve dug around a bit to see if I could find this already answered, because I assume it’s been asked before, but I couldn’t find anything so I will ask. So, do you read all the books you assign to your kids? I’m a college graduate, but….oh, my, oh, my, what I never learned!! I WANT to learn right along-side my kids, and my oldest is only six so I do a lot the reading with him for now, but I have a couple more boys coming along, and as kids get older the books get longer, and well, do you assign them and let them narrate or read with them and discuss? Already my son picks history books and science books for “fun” reads and I have to tell him to tell me about what he read because I never learned it. (No, sorry, but I don’t know who the 5th president was. Can you tell me?) Does this work for assigned books as well or do you try to keep up with their reading alongside? I’m just curious how others do this. Thanks!
~Nicole
November 27, 2013 at 8:36 pm
LindseyD
Participant
Nicole,
Personally, I don’t read all the books my kids read–as much as I know I would probably enjoy most of them very much. I rely heavily on the word of ladies I trust on this forum and on the SCM Bookfinder when I’m going to be buying/assigning books for my children that are unfamiliar to me. In fact, we discovered the Crispin series of books by Avi this way. It was another mom on here who had her son read them during their study of the Middle Ages, so I bought them and my son has loved them and is currently halfway through the second in the series. There are some books that I insist upon reading, so I save those to be family read alouds so that I make sure I have the opportunity to discover them alongside my children. But goodness, my son is the most avid reader in our family; he would never have anything to read if he had to wait on me to pre-read!
November 27, 2013 at 11:31 pm
Karen
Participant
I do try to read books before I hand them over — however, I can’t possibly keep up. So I limit myself to reading what I want to read of my girls’ books and reading authors I’m unfamiliar with.
I also depend on friends’ recommendations, this forum, and another homeschooling online group for advice.
November 27, 2013 at 11:37 pm
Misty
Participant
NO ! I should but I have 7 kids and barely have time to read any of my personal books. I trust this family of forum friends, other personal friends and other reviews.
I wish I could cause I also would like to read them, but not enough time.
November 27, 2013 at 11:54 pm
my3boys
Participant
I do not, nor have the time to, read all the books assigned to my kiddos. I do, however, read to my dc regularly, even my highschooler, so I get to read those that I’ve never read with them. Lately, I’ve been reading some books that my oldest will probably read at some point in highschool (as well as the other dc), that I’ve never read and loving them! I do read for pleasure and I guess would be considered an avid reader but I just can’t read *everything* assigned or that they would read for pleasure.
HTH
November 28, 2013 at 12:00 am
Angelina
Participant
I’m in Lindsey’s camp. My sons are such avid readers I would be seriously depriving them if they had to wait for me. Having said this, I do as much “digging” as possible in many cases where I haven’t read the book. (especially if it’s a meaty book) In addition to info on this forum, literature lists from other “living literature” curriculum providers, Christian book lists, Honey for a Child’s Heart and such sources, I have also found when in a pinch I can usually find a book review or even a full plot summary via Wikipedia or other book review sites. As much as getting recommendations from the forum, friends and other sources helps (a lot), I have found it is ideal (for me) to at least know the plot and main characters/main message of the books my boys are reading. Helps us to have better conversations about the books when they choose to chat with me about them…
Note, this is my rule for “leisure” reading. For books I assign to them for school silent reading and chapter by chapter narration I try VERY hard to read myself as I find this gives me a better understanding of the quality of their narrations (although I don’t “correct” their narrations I find it fascinating to observe what they see as important in a reading versus what they choose to leave out or emphasize less).
HTH… Angie
November 28, 2013 at 12:22 am
LindseyD
Participant
Seriously, asking the moms on this forum (especially those of us who’ve been on here a LONG time and I’ve come to really trust their judgment) is my best way to be sure a book is going to be ok for my kids. Also, if I can find it in the Bookfinder and it has the little green [SCM] next to it, I’m probably going to trust that book since I trust Sonya and Doug.
If you’re not concerned about content and just concerned that you’ll be personally missing out on something great if you don’t read all the books you’re kids are reading, well, I guess you better start reading! And reading. And reading. And you’ll probably never get through!
November 28, 2013 at 7:42 am
QuirkyMama
Participant
Ok, great. It’s a relief to know it’s not a requirement, but an added bonus, to read all the books assigned to your kids. My oldest is only six, but a good reader, and I already can’t keep up with his free reads. It’s hard enough to be a filter for his borrowed books, but I try. I know there will be a few over the years my kids will read that I wouldn’t really approve of but will have to trust their character will be strong enough to discern the good from the junk–eventually. 😉 I think it was in the Books and Things seminar video where Sonya even mentions one of her daughters bringing her a book and telling her it’s immoral. Having kids who can discern that is probably spades better than my always having to be the filter. Obviously that takes time and training, but it’s a good goal. And yes, it would be the ideal to read along with my kids and have great discussions on everything, but life is often real, not so much ideal. It’s good to know I don’t have to beat myself up if I can’t reach the ideal.
~Nicole
November 28, 2013 at 3:18 pm
HollyS
Participant
Aside from recommondations here and from other HSers, I’ve found Amazon reviews to be helpful. Controversial issues tend to pop up in the negative reviews.
I do read some of their assigned books, but like others have mentioned, it gets difficult to keep up with it all.
November 29, 2013 at 8:36 pm
QueenMama
Member
I try, but it’s just not always possible, and I’ve only got one reader so far! If something is really new to me or I don’t have a lot of information about it, I will definitely read it, or at least skim it. But most of the time I go by reviews from other sources.
December 3, 2013 at 3:32 am
Nina
Participant
So, how do u handle narrations? Whether or not they r accurate.
December 3, 2013 at 6:56 pm
Angelina
Participant
I’m glad Nina posted above and asked this question on whether reading our kids’ books impacts our ability to assess their narrations. I hope we get some answers from the other CM experienced Moms on here as I’d love opinions on that point in particular. I do see that most on this thread are saying that we don’t need to read all of our kids’ books, and that we shouldn’t stress over it. I agree in my heart…
But most often, in my head, I can’t see a way around it… I feel this need to read/skim my kids’ reading assignments (for school) because I don’t seem to assess the strength of their narrations as well without having done so. I’m not trying to make work for myself; it would certainly free up my time if I didn’t have to do this! (and believe me I don’t do it for every book…because really, who can?) But having done it both ways (some books I read/some not), I feel as though the narrations don’t mean as much to me when I haven’t got a good handle on the book.
Overall, on narrations – I think my kids are quite strong (particularly the oldest two, age 9 and 10). I see both of them stating a lot of details, speaking in complete and nicely composed sentences, and giving incredibly vivid descriptions. The oral narrations can go on for upwards of 10 minutes sometimes! Clearly they are “living” their books. But… if I haven’t read the book myself, as much as I THINK the narrations are strong, I never truly know what they choose to leave out; I never see/know which plot developments or other descriptions are not memorable to them.
So, the question is, how do I know how strong the narration is if I don’t know what the child left out on an assigned chapter/book? Is it really as simple as knowing that they did well on the narration if it is detailed, well-composed, lengthy and enthusiastic? (believe me, I would love it if someone would say yes)
I really, really love that a CM education places so much value on what our children observe and make connections with in their readings; I don’t sweat it at all if I hear a narration where some of the chapter content is left out. To me, whatever is left out just happens to be whatever they connected wtih “less”.
But somehow, even though it doesn’t matter a great deal that they left it out, I still feel as their teacher I’m supposed to KNOW what they chose to emphasize versus omit, or what moved them deeply versus what struck them as nonsense. I would love it if the others here on the forum could tell me whether this is truly unnecessary, or whether it’s the ideal but not necessary all the time. (or any other comments!)

December 3, 2013 at 7:18 pm
Missy OH
Participant
I try to read all the books they are reading for school. Sometimes, I’m reading along w/ them or just a day or so ahead. Some of the books I’ve read during our summer break. Yes, I do feel I need to be somewhat familiar w/ the book to know how well the narration is going, and that should be the norm. Sometimes though, life gets in the way, and I must go ahead and assign a book that I haven’t read. Right now my dd is reading Treasure Island. I know a little about the story but not much. One way I know if she is getting what she reads is how well I’m following her narration. Today, I got very confused because she didn’t have the names straight and that alerted the both of us that she needed to slow down a bit more and focus on the characters’ names.
I do not try to read all their FREE reading books. I do if I think there is a possible issue we might have w/ the book. I could never keep up w/ all of those. I do not ask for narrations of these books, but enjoy listening to them if the dc decide to share.
December 4, 2013 at 3:20 am
Claire
Participant
I started out reading everything they read. It was ok the first year, but after that there were just too many books to pre-read and I felt my time was better spent doing other planning / work on their behalf. All of our History, Science, Shakespeare, Plutarch and Poet/Picture/Hymn/Folksong are all done together as a group. I don’t see an issue. I have them read aloud their written narrations often (to me, to one another) and I ask questions if I don’t follow what they’ve narrated. Or their sibling is aloud to ask a question in the same manner. That seems to be an effective way to show them the strength of a their written narration. They’ll often make notes on it either of the questions asked or of details they really meant to include that were important to them.
My children were in school for a time. At first narration was puzzling to them too. They will still sometimes ask “Don’t I need to prove that I know this or that?” I assure them if they read it and have absorbed it and created a “hook” to hang more and more on in later years then that’s awesome. “What?!” But in schools we ask them to tell us back very specific ideas and details that some “we” somewhere has decided are the best ideas and details about any said subject. You can see how this goes …
I always wanted to know who decides on what the Amercian cannon of education should be anyway? Who cherry picked the things we hold so near and dear as true measures of an educated child?