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Family Reading

by Leigh A. Bortins

Everyone remembers a favorite teacher who read aloud to them on quiet afternoons. It provided a respite from seemingly endless worksheets and transformed the classroom into a magical space. Families can re-create this experience by reading great books together. In a previous article, I shared statistics about the importance of reading aloud to your children. Studies have shown that the advanced vocabulary often found in books written for young children prepares them for academic success. While children are still struggling to sound out short words for themselves, they sometimes lose the thread of the story. Reading aloud to them while they are learning to read independently ensures that they can enjoy a great story, while building their vocabulary and their knowledge of history.

Many read-aloud advocates have urged parents to continue to read to their children all the way through high school. This is the practice we have adopted in our home. In previous generations, reading aloud with older children was a common practice in American homes. Shared stories bind together families, then communities, then nations. As the holiday season approaches, I have compiled a few of our family favorites and some of the lessons we learned from them. Children look forward to special occasions, so set up a family reading night each week. Choose somewhere cozy with lots of pillows and blankets, light a fire, and serve hot chocolate or apple cider to make this time special. Before you know it, children may be begging, "Please, just one more chapter."

Choose stories from a wide variety of historical eras.

Children enjoy learning about children from long ago. I have not yet met the child who was not spellbound by the adventures of the Ingalls family in the Little House on the Prairie series. These books preserve an era of westward expansion in the history of the United States. Children enjoy seeing how the Ingalls family overcame many hardships as they moved to different states in search of better opportunities. We have also enjoyed Johnny Tremain - a story about a Boston apprentice on the eve of the Revolutionary War - and Number the Stars - a story about a young girl and her family who assist Jewish families during the Nazi occupation of Denmark in World War II. Reading aloud these stories is also an excellent way to supplement your child's history education.

Choose stories which have meaningful lessons for your family.

My four boys and I particularly enjoyed the Little Britches series by Ralph Moody. These stories of 19th-century ranchers teach powerful lessons about perseverance, hard work, independence, and responsibility. Stories about youths working hard provide excellent role models in our own time when few children begin working at young ages. These stories made us rethink our expectations of our boys and their ability to contribute to our household chores and to our family business. Children long to enter into and to contribute to the adult world, and this series shares rich stories about young people who do just that. Newspaper and magazine articles often talk about the negative effects of prolonged adolescence in the 21st century. Reading stories about 19th-century pioneer life provides a sharp contrast and may inspire your children to work harder at home.

Choose stories which have holiday themes.

Children of all ages enjoy having family traditions. Reading aloud during busy holiday seasons can be a way to slow down and spend quality time together. Most years at Thanksgiving, my family reads a story about the Pilgrims coming to America and facing hardships to start a new life in a new land. Squanto, Friend of the Pilgrims by Clyde Robert Bulla provides a quick read-aloud. We have also enjoyed An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving by Louisa May Alcott. As our boys have grown, we have wanted them to deepen their understanding of Thanksgiving and the Pilgrims, so we have read the original Mayflower Compact and selections from Bradford's Of Plimouth Plantation.

For Christmas, try The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson. Each year, we roar with laughter at the speeches and antics of the Herdman family who almost ruined the church's Nativity play. We also try to read the perennial Christmas favorite A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Even though the diction is initially challenging for young listeners, keep reading. After the first chapter, children will become accustomed to the elevated style and will enjoy the story. The visitation of three ghosts which precipitates the transformation of Scrooge from a miser to a benefactor keeps listeners on the edge of their seats.

Choose books that have been made into movies.

For reluctant listeners, this can provide incentive to listen to the entire novel. Family read-aloud night can become family movie night at the end of each selection. Excellent novels that have recently been made into movies include The Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis and The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas. Generally speaking, avid readers are disappointed with movie adaptations of their favorites. However, older children can benefit from the discussion of the differences between the book and the movie. They can practice analytical thinking skills by evaluating the changes between the two media. In any event, the promise of movie night will help you train a reluctant listener to give their attention to a longer read-aloud.

Get started on family reading time this week. Choose a night that the whole family can be home and a time that works for everyone. Maybe you need to read during dinner so that everyone will be available or maybe at bedtime when you have a captive audience. Start with holiday books or select three to five great stories. Pile up your selections and allow the family to vote.

Happy reading!