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SCM Literature Lists and Reading Aloud
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Are the recommended book lists under literature meant to be read aloud or by the child? We are finishing our second year homeschooling (9.5 year old/3rd grade). So far, I have been reading the book lists aloud. We have completed most of the books in lists 1-3. At times, I question if these aren’t books that my daughter should be reading on her own. Now tonight in planning next year, I find many of them listed as free reading suggestions for her in Ambleside Online. Surely, we have done no harm in reading them aloud and together. It has been joyful for us and I have a 5 year old son who listens while he plays. Next year, I have the C.S. Lewis books on our read aloud list and Ambleside Online has them as free reading. She has the reading capacity to read them. Do I read them to her or have her read them independently? If she reads them, what do I read aloud? I didn’t grow up with all this great literature and absolutely love this about CM. My daughter loves reading as well. She reads independently chapter books at night of her choosing. Next year, I’m thinking of implementing a day time quiet time for her to read books I choose, while I read more intentionally picked books to my 5 year old son.
Insight please?
I was always under the impression that the literature lists in the SCM guide were intended as read alouds. I would peruse the AO list and just see if there are things that your dd would enjoy and just create a free read list for independent reading. Whatever you decide, I strongly recommend that you not give up a family read aloud. =)
Maybe it would be helpful to not just look at it as something she can read, but also what you want to have as shared memories or family culture. Way too often once a child has learned to read, we quit reading aloud to them and with them. There are many great reasons to continue to read aloud, not the least of which will help build her language skills – and think about how much joy you have had reading and enjoying this year. Do you really want to miss that? (The Read Aloud Revivial podcast, episode 1 speaks to this very thing. If you haven’t checked out that amazing resource you should.)
I have scheduled literature read alouds for us during the day for things like Pinocchio and books of that type. Recently, though, it occurred to me that I would like to share fun stories I read as a kid that my children probably will miss if I don’t read them aloud. So I started reading them for bedtime stories instead of picture books…The Mouse and the Motorcycle, Pippi Longstocking, Baby Island, just fun (sort of random) stories with no ties to school. It has been a big hit and so refreshing to not feel that it is on a list somewhere. 😉
I think how you use them is totally up to you! My son will be in 3rd grade next year. I will probably do almost everything as a read aloud next year and then starting I. 4th grade, assign some books for him to read independently. I believe that is also SCM recommendation. If your daughter can read well independently, my recommendation is to choose a few books for her to read and others to be read alouds. I plan to never give up read alouds! Me and my kids piled up all together for a good story is something I treasure!
No, you have absolutely done no harm in reading them to her. Instead you have built a special bond around books. That is irreplaceable and in today’s culture of autonomy. It’s sorely lacking to our own detriment. My younger two boys, age 12 (my oldest is almost 26…but we always read aloud, too) would never hear of us not reading aloud every single day. They do their own reading, of course, and quite a bit of it, but I read both fiction and even some of our books for school. I don’t worry about it at all. Assign her her own books. But never give up reading aloud.
And Narnia? Well it’s up to you. She can certainly read them herself. But those books are so special! A definite shared culture in our family!
We read them aloud as well. I usually have one (or more) read alouds going, plus they usually have a couple to read on their own, generally a history reader and a literature book. In addition to this, they have their own books chosen from the library to read in the spare time, generally in the evenings or in the car.
As far as Narnia, I’ve read aloud a few of them, leaving them with the option of continuing them on their own. Same with Little House books. We used to do one Narnia and one Little House book each year, but I didn’t do either last year!
Oh my, I have no intentions of stopping read alouds! It’s the best part of our day. I guess I was just wondering if I should be reading higher level books to her aloud? Im creating our list of read alouds and an independent list for her. I think I’ll just stick with reading aloud the SCM lists. Like I mentioned, I’m reading almost all of these for the first time myself. I love reading but was always introduced to twaddle until high school advanced lit. I’m thoroughly enjoying building our home collection and reading them with my kids.
Definitely keep reading the higher level books aloud (at least some of them anyway)! Although I discovered this year, that they like lower level books read aloud as well. We did a pretty silly book aloud recently (Half Magic), and it was a nice change from the more serious books I usually select for our RA. Our next year’s RAs will include a mix of picture books and chapter books, which I’m very excited about!
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