The Read Aloud: Like Sunshine for the Soul

{My new post is up over at Heart of the Matter! Go on over and enjoy- here's a little preview...}

Or a cool drink on a hot day! Nothing soothes the grumpies at our house like a read aloud. Nothing.

I’ve been a long time advocate of reading aloud to your kids. Not just the bed time kind of reading, but the kind that can start at any time and last for hours. So, I thought it would be a good idea to give some pointers on how to get started with reading aloud or how to make the most of it.

The Read Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease is a fantastic book about the benefits of reading aloud to your kids at any age. This book, along with a favorite children’s picture book, is my standard baby gift for new parents. If we travel in the same circles, please don’t steal my idea! Mr. Trelease makes a compelling case for making the effort to read regularly to your kids and it will surely boost your confidence that your effort is well worth it.

I know what some of you are thinking. The read aloud is almost a cliché in the homeschooling world. Some of you are groaning because you simply don’t like it. Aren’t good at it. Or haven’t made the time despite your best intentions.

Many of you probably are avid readers to your kids, but what do you do if you aren’t or if you have tried in the past but have not been successful with it. Maybe your kids don’t act interested. Maybe they are too squirmy. I can tell you I have been known to read to my kids for two hours at a time and if I stop it is most likely protested with kids yelling, “More!”

So, how do you get there? By just picking up a book and reading it to your kids. Enthusiastically and consistently. You can’t lose! {Read More}