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Ugggh….I'm driving myself crazy over reading
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Okay, I have watched the All Day CM Seminar, re-read my notes taken while watching the seminar, looked at the curriculum guide, and am still confused. Help please!!
We are doing these subjects in grades 2 and 3:
History-Joshua-Malachi
Science-Apologia
Scripture Memory System
Drawing/Music/Artist/Poetry studies
Nature studies
Math-Mathusee
Language-Queen’s Lang. books
Spelling Wisdom
Explode the Code (my son for phonics)
Spanish DVD (introduction to Spanish with fun songs)
Now, what I can’t figure out is the reading/literature…………….What should they be doing, if anything, more than me reading a Read-Aloud to them??? I guess that coming from a Winter Promise/Sonlight background I have become confused. Do they need to be reading “readers”? I can’t find anywhere in the SCM “line up” where elementary aged children are reading “readers” except to learn how to read. So should I even be concerned about this? My son (age7) is not interested in reading much “just for fun” and I feel like I am overloading him if I try and get him to read extra things. Is it okay for them to just have the work I listed above and a Family Read Aloud for literature? I’m so tired of searching for good readers for their age levels, and just today thought about the fact that I am having to look for these readers because there are none listed on the SCM curriculum list!!!
I am assuming that there is a reason for that On the SCM Curriculum guide Under Early Readers there are Pathway Readers listed for 1st and 2nd grade. I believe in 3rd grade they will take over the Literature Readings, so they would be reading the books listed and not you. Also, I think they should start helping you read some of the History and Science selections in 3rd grade. Maybe one page or so to start with, I am not positive either but this was my understanding.
Okay, then should I pick a read-aloud from the literature list and assign a literature book for my 3rd grader from the literature list too?
I noticed on the Ambleside Online site that they have a list of “free reading” books for each grade level. It said that they are not counted as “school work” but that one mom just gives her children the stack at the beginning of the year for them to pick from and read as they have free time…….
Still confused 🙂
Amanda –
Whether this is “the right way” or not….my 4th grade boys read a book with me during their individual reading time. I spend about 30 minutes a day working on spelling and phonics rules as well as reading out loud with them. One son and I trade pages in a longer chapter book (right now a Boxcar Children book). The other son is reading to me while I listen (he chooses shorter books and struggles more so I like him to practice). I then have a family read-aloud. Just this year (4th grade) I am assigning one of the boys very short history and science books to read (maybe 1 a month, 20 or so pages of big print). The other boy isn’t there yet so I won’t assign him anything.
My 6-yr-old and I are still reading phonics books (he reads to me) and then he listens to the family read-aloud.
Thus far our ‘literature’ has been done as a family, me reading to them from a variety of books. We do “readers” in the sense that when I work with them one-on-one I have books at their level. Both of my boys didn’t like to read and wouldn’t unless it was with me. Over the last few months one of them has started reading all the time. He gets in trouble for reading instead of doing chores or eating! The other, not there yet….
I wouldn’t worry about assigning extra books to your 7-yr-old, but make sure he is reading a little every day. If you’re having a tough time finding books for him to read let me know and I can try to help. Maybe…hopefully…
Heather
Thanks, that sounds a lot like what I have been doing with my son (7 yr. old) and I have been just letting my daughter (9yr old) read to herself during what we have been calling “independent reading time”. Then she tells me all about the chapter she read(narration but she does not know it
).My son has been reading the Pathway Reader during “school time”.Okay, so a read aloud for the family plus something for them both to read aloud to me during “guided work” time (which we alread have). Hmmmmm……..
I think my problems come when I try to find books for them to read that are “good, classic books” because they don’t like what I have offered them. Then it becomes a struggle to “make them read” the book. Maybe I have given them too many options??? I don’t know. But I am tired of looking everywhere for books. Do you pick the book that your children must read or let them choose it? I keep hearing Sonya say, “the children must like the book”…..
Should I give them a stack (like AO says they do with “free reading”) and let them choose from that stack only? Or just pick one book at a time for them to read during “school time” and let them choose their own “free reading” books at the library?
My daughter (who recently turned 7) really struggles with reading too. I read the literature to her too. (We still have to start Science and History yet). It just doesn’t seem to matter how great the book is, she just seems to think that reading is a chore. I get lots of complaints from her about it. I agree with Heather, just make sure that they’re reading a little every day. At some point it will become enjoyable to them and then they can do more reading independently.
Forgot to mention that she doesn’t choose- I pick one book at a time for her to read during school time. Right now she’s reading “Little House in the the Big Woods”. I’m thinking about buying the Pathway readers for her too. I just have her read for fifteen minutes and we pencil mark where she finished so that we know where to start the next day again.
Okay, well I am gonna just pick out a book for each of them to read for “school time” and then if they want to they may choose a different book to read in their free time too. There….done. We have several books here on the shelf (right beside me) that are good books. I am going to make a stack for each of them and choose one for school and let them know where “their books are” hoping that at some point in time they will actually choose to read one!
I think I have let the kids be TOO free to pick their own books ( I really think that is the problem) and they still feel that reading is a chore, thus they don’t want to choose anything to read.
Does that sound okay or am I just getting too tired to think straight?
I typically have 2 or 3 books I know they can read and will like and let them choose.
We struggle a lot with twaddle in our home. My husband loves CM, but also loves comics and such so his philosophy has always been “as long as they’re reading”. I try to choose excellent books for read-aloud and then allow some not so great ones for “mom time reading”. For example, my struggling reader LOVES dragons and knights so I look for books along those lines. Classic. No. Does he read with enthusiasm and ask to read “just one more page”? Yes. The other son who won’t stop reading now loves Calvin and Hobbes and (barf) Pokemon. He reads those for fun, during his play time, but will read Boxcar Children and other fairly good books with me.
It sounds like your kids are doing a good job reading every day. I wouldn’t stress reading during their play time or free reading right now. If they read to you during school time or independent work time then that should be enough until they choose to read on their own.
You have a lovely schedule worked out for your family. Go with it as is for a while and you’ll be able to tell if you need to add more.
Heather
Amanda –
I was posting at the same time you were. Yes, I sounds great. Don’t overthink this. Go with your schedule and see how it works.
Thank you Heather 🙂 🙂 🙂
I just discussed this all with my husband and we decided that it will be best for me to pick one book for them to read during “school time” daily, and then if they choose to, they may read what they want to any other time. I am going to pick from books we already have at home first and then move on to lists that are on SCM, AO or elsewhere. 😉
Whew……now I’m going to take a shower and go to bed.
I am assuming that there is a reason for that 
).My son has been reading the Pathway Reader during “school time”.
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