Monday, October 22, 2012

Read Alouds for Grades K-8

I love books! I have a literal weakness for them--the hard copy kind not the electronic kind.  Every book in my house is a treasure and I try to teach my girls to be good stewards of their books.  While I am a book lover, I'm also a book snob.  Living books with beautiful written stories and with well chosen words just melt my heart but there isn't anything I can't stand more than junk "literature".  You know those books written to appeal to kids that are written in kid terms and don't have any character value whatsoever.  It's hard training my kids to pick the treasures from the junk.  I have a commitment to only read them books that have character value, books that challenge them and books that touch their heart.  It's not easy because junk "literature" is everywhere!  I am going to do my best to only list books that have value and that will enrich your time together.


               

First off, I would like to talk about reading more to your children.  There is nothing more precious than read aloud time.  There are some wonderful activities you can tie into your reading.  Creekside Learning (who is known for providing a superb living book list) has some ideas to make your reading time extra special.  Ten Ways to Read More to Your Child

101 Books to Read Before You Grow Up -- The books listed are picture books.  Chapter books are most often read for read aloud time but there is nothing wrong with a picture book every now and then. Personally, there are some listed that are not-so-great but overall it's a good list.

Read Aloud list for Mighty Girls -- I have listed this site in a previous blog post but it had to be listed again.  The books listed here are not about girly princess but girls that are strong and courageous.  Some of the books listed I've never heard of so I can't say whether all books listed are wonderful.

Top 25 Read-Alouds -- by Simple Homeschool.  I love lists by other homeschoolers.  You can relate to their struggles of finding good books.  Most listed here are good choices but personally, I wouldn't have listed Harry Potter (for faith reasons).  But to each his own.

101 215 Read Aloud Books for Elementary Aged Children -- This list started out as 101 which was fantastic on it's own but the writer let her followers add to the list and now it's a whopping 215 books.  Great selections with books you can't miss with your children (in my opinion).  I'm glad to see that they listed classic books here that other lists are missing.

Chapter Books for the Younger Kids -- I somewhat disagree with this title.  It's listed for ages 3-8 but I think children as old as 12 can enjoy some of these books.  I was so glad to see Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder; An Ordinary Princess by M.M. Kaye (I can't believe I didn't read this as a child.... but warning she does run away from home but for good reason); and the Grandma's Attic book by Arletta Carlson.

1000 Good Book List-- by Classical Christian Homeschooling.  Massive listing for books for K-12th grade.  Although it is for the purpose to make a reading list, I believe if you use the books from their level or go one level higher you can use those books as a read aloud. 

Reading Aloud to Your Children --  by another homeschool mom.  She made a list of books that she read to her son and has shared them on her blog.  While I think the books she listed are above MY children's grade levels, it can still be utilized in your homeschool.  She has grades 1-5 listed but I believe her list is for more like grades 2-8 but that's just me.  Although, if you're classical homeschoolers you may not need to make any adjustments.

Sonlight Curriculum-- You can't have a book list without at least looking at the books listed by Sonlight.  A few books have been recently disputed by homeschoolers (and for good reason) but you can't ignore their taste for lively literature.

The Read Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease is a well known book for his study of reading aloud to children and his book list.

Honey for a Child's Heart by Gladys Hunt is more written for faith-based families who want to read to their children not only for quality time but for character value as well.  Can't miss this wonderful book.


I hope that I helped you more than overwhelmed you with all these book choices.  Like I said before, junk "literature" is everywhere.  My 6 year-old is the worst about picking out junk to bring home.  She is like a magnet for those goofy illustrations and horrendous texts and story lines.  Some days I want to ban her from the library just to save from an argument or two but I know if I keep on keeping on and teach her the value of books, it will benefit her the rest of her life.  Don't give up the fight.  Demand good books. Read good books and spend time with your children.  It's so important.  Until next time!


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