60-day returns • free shipping on USA orders $129+
Stopping a read aloud halfway through?
- This topic has 3 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 12 years ago by
.
Viewing 4 posts - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)
- Posts
When do you as a parent make the call to stop reading a readaloud that the child doesn’t like?
We’re reading “Milly-Molly-Mandy” as part of the Sonlight P4/5 curriculum. We’re about 1/3 of the way through and this is the only Sonlight book my son has ever complained about. It’s not that it’s a chapter book, as he has enjoyed other chapter books. I realize it’s about a girl, and that may be part of it. I think he does enjoy some of the chapters, as he asks questions and laughs in parts. And I think the language is good as is the exposure to some of what life was like a couple hundred years ago. But…..if he thinks he doesn’t like it, should I push it on him?
You know your child best. We’ve gone both ways before, kept going and made it through or shelved a book. I usually say we need to give the book a ‘good honest try’. So for a 100 page book we need to read at least 1/3 of it, maybe half. Usually I aim for halfway and if we’re still not enjoying it I know it’s not that they’ve got to get into the book yet, it is that they really don’t like the story.
We have stopped with a read aloud before, but we generally give it about halfway, too. And there are some books that my children do enjoy reading independently that just don’t work well as a read-aloud. If I recall, “Milly, Molly, Mandy” got put on the shelf until they were able to read it themselves :).
I wouldn’t push it – one of Charlotte’s principles was that the child must like the book.
But I would be sure you find some books about ‘girls’ that he does like.
Among my 4 boys, there are a couple who resist anything girly…Unfortunately that excludes about 2/3 of the good reading material out there! They are required to read the ‘girly’ books anyway, and generally they end up loving them.
So teach him young that a story doesn’t have to have a male leading character in order for him to enjoy it! But don’t force a book that he is hating. Hope that helps!
Viewing 4 posts - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)
- The topic ‘Stopping a read aloud halfway through?’ is closed to new replies.