Name: Teach Them Diligently (Branson)
Start: 2025-05-15T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-05-17T23:59:59-05:00
Location: Branson, MO

Tagged: discipline, kids, kids and reading, little ones, noise, Read Aloud, read aloud time, read aloud with kids, table time, toddlers

This topic has 8 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 12 years, 7 months ago by Tristan.

Viewing 9 posts - 1 through 9 (of 9 total)

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September 4, 2012 at 4:08 pm
binky
Participant
How do you do your read aloud time with all your little ones? I have olders 10, 12 and 16 who cannot hear what I read due to the noise from the younger ones. Do you seperate the reading times? or still do them all together. I find myself constantly stopping to discipline littles and my olders are getting very frustrated. Any suggestions from others are appreciated as well.
Binky
September 4, 2012 at 5:15 pm
Tristan
Participant
We’re all together. Basically we gather everyone in one spot and I read. They are allowed something quiet in their hands (playdoh, drawing materials, knitting, soft toys, or a small amount of Legos are a few examples) or they are welcome to snuggle up with me and each other. We also may have a snack ready so we can use it to start our reading time (full mouths=quiet) or use it in the middle of reading time to get the wiggly ones to be quiet just a bit longer.
I know, that probably is no help. Honestly, we’ve done read alouds since we had our first so they have all grown up with the idea that it’s a time to be sitting quietly. I remember when I just had the first 4 kids (they were 6 and under) and I would shut us all in a bedroom with pillows and blankets so the little ones wouldn’t wreak havoc. I don’t do that now, but we will sometimes still read all piled in a single bed. Or at the table. Or on the couch. We’ve done the enclosed porch and even on the floor beside the bathroom when potty training a little one.
I think if I was having trouble with little ones being noisy I would try some of the following:
– more frequent reading times (shorter) so the little ones get lots of practice. Make a big deal about picking spots to sit, picking what they want to hold/use while they are sitting, and then stop to encourage them to sit in their spot quietly as needed.
Maybe even get the older ones on board with a few days of “practice” where they know you’re reading just a few pages of a book and they’re to help be the example for little ones.
Do they have any buddies with the little ones? They can encourage their buddy to sit by them and gently encourage them to be quiet and in their spot. At my house all kids have buddies, and we change them around if a special relationship develops. For example, my oldest Makayla is 11. She used to be Oliver’s buddy (he’s 3 and very rowdy). However, he has developed a love for big brother Joseph (age 7) and Caleb (age 1) now adores Makayla, so they are buddies now. Emma (6) and Daniel (4) prefer one another because both like drawing during these quiet times.
Other things to help the little ones remember their spot include grabbing a small towel and spreading it in their place. They can’t get off the towel and you can spread them enough that they can’t be rowdy with another little one. (Blanket training is a term you might look up for more with this, we don’t do it really strictly, but have used it before when struggling with rowdy ones egging each other on).
Another way to practice is get out the playdoh. We have booster seats for all little ones with seatbelts. Click them in and read! Older ones can be spaced between littles to roll balls and snakes from playdog as needed for their buddy.
Another idea is timing. Be sure those little ones get some of the wiggles out before you start read alouds. How much can you wear them out in 5 or 10 minutes of relay races, calistenics, or other active play? Probably enough that they will welcome sitting quietly for some reading time.
I look forward to hearing others ideas on this too! Each family is different. I’ve got lots of little boys and my olders can concentrate through a small amount of noise if needed. My husband can’t, however, so when he’s home joining in read alouds we respect that and try to be ‘quiet as mice’.
September 5, 2012 at 2:55 pm
amama5
Participant
I’m not Tristan, but this always bothered me as well, so we just started training with explaining that this is read-aloud time where you aren’t allowed to talk or even ask questions about the book yet, then after I finish I will read your books to you (and you can ask as many questions as you want:). I do it at the table while they are eating so it’s easier to have them quiet, I eat while making theirs, then try to get everything they need for lunch passed out. Then we read. Tristan’s idea is good that your older ones might have to serve the littles by having a few training days where the point isn’t hearing what is said, but teaching them to listen/sit still.
Also, sorry if this is a very ignorant question, but I didn’t know we read anything aloud to kids of those ages, I can see the 10 yr old, but I thought by then they were reading everything on their own? Some of the family books are either for younger ages, or much older ages, and I had planned just to let them read by themselves by then? (My oldest is only 8 so we aren’t there yet).
September 5, 2012 at 4:06 pm
Tristan
Participant
Not an ignorant question at all! The family book is for the whole family and it saves time to read it aloud, but there is no curriculum police to say you must. Older students may prefer reading even the family selection on their own.
At my house reading aloud is a big deal, it has so many benefits even when a child or teen reads well. I remember my grandmother reading a chapter book aloud to my family on a summer trip driving from Ohio to Canada to Utah and back. Fond memories and shared memories. We have read aloud and will continue to read aloud books (even if they are not related to schoolwork) until our children are out of the house, and then we’ll probably still invite them to read with us…LOL.
September 5, 2012 at 4:51 pm
kurtjenvb
Participant
I am so glad to see this post!!! I have had such a hard time with this. We have 5 children (2-12), and last year, I just about threw in the towel so many times b/c I would get SO frustrated with our unsuccessful reading times – just typing this raises my stress level 🙂
There were times when our 2 year old was in this phase where she would mimic whatever I was doing. So, if I was sitting on the sofa reading a story – she would sit next to me and “read” out loud!! It was very cute and funny, but really made reading rather impossible!
I tried blanket training – failed miserably. I guess I just don’t know what to do to “make” her stay on her blanket – she had no inclination to stay on a blanket, and our entire school time turned into a battle to train her to stay on a blanket. ugh.
I guess part of what I’m wondering is how do you actually do the training. I don’t feel this is a spanking issue, but can anyone give me suggestions about how to actually carry out training the young ones to sit and be quiet? Like step by step directions 🙂
Thank you SO much!
September 5, 2012 at 5:58 pm
Tristan
Participant
Step by Step Blanket Training (working on self-control, can be done without a blanket for older children as sitting time) This is mostly taken from the Duggar’s first book, which is where I got the idea originally.
1. Spread the blanket/towel where you want the child to stay. This can be on the floor, on a chair, on part of the couch, etc.
2. Enthusiastically tell the child it’s ‘blanket time’ (or whatever name you pick).
3. In the very beginning this will be very short. For little ones give them nothing to do but look at you and listen to your voice. You sit nearby, within reach, and tell them how good their are doing sitting on the blanket. When they try to get up you instantly correct and encourage them to sit, then praise praise praise when they are sitting again (even though you may have been the one to sit them down).
When 5 minutes is up, training is over. Get up, lots of hugs and kisses and celebrating are totally appropriate!
4. The next step is adding a toy or activity. You may go right to this after one blanket time practice or not. Up to you. Let them choose a toy/puzzle/activity from a small box of things you’ve put up out of reach. Cheerfully announce blanket time and deposit child and toy on the blanket. Stay within reach.
– If they become loud or try to get off the blanket correct right away. Something along the lines of “Oh no! We don’t get off the blanket (or use loud voices). We’re learning to have fun while we sit quietly on our blanket!” while putting them back in place helps.
When 5 minutes is up get up and celebrate.
Practice up to 3 or 4 times a day, in different places. I try to stick with twice at first. Then once it’s easy you add a bit of time. 7 minutes, then 10, etc.
Once they are great at 5 minutes you can also step away and go out of sight, then peek and correct as needed.
– details: decide if they are allowed to stand on the blanket. We don’t let them. Leads to getting off. Stay cheerful and praise liberally for each successful minute, in a quiet voice. Don’t get loud yourself.
Does that help? Any questions?
September 5, 2012 at 6:07 pm
Tristan
Participant
Oh, and to address your concerns, it’s not a spanking issue for us either! I try to make sure the toy/activity they get during training is really engaging to them, a novelty. Stickers to put on paper, small felt board figures, a special puzzle with magnetic fishing rod to get pieces, or a new book from the library. Anything that you’re sure they’ll love. And really keep training short for a while. You want them to succeed, set them up to succeed. I’ve been known to tell a story to the child learning to sit, with them as the star, if they like that sort of thing.
Oh, and if the toy ends up off the blanket they lost it.
September 5, 2012 at 6:33 pm
kurtjenvb
Participant
Thank you, Tristan! I really appreciate your step by step directions. I can see now, that as you mentioned above, this would work best at a dedicated training time – rather than during our school time, until she “gets it”.
I am encouraged to try this again.
Have you ever had a child with whom this did not work?

September 5, 2012 at 6:58 pm
Tristan
Participant
smile} yes and no. One was more resistant and training lasted longer – a lot longer. I had to practice patience. God makes some children with a strong need to move (or to talk even!). So while self-control in this area is always possible it may take longer to develop.