Read, Read, Read! Summer Reading with my Boys

We had a lazy day around here since all the boys stayed up late last night.  I asked them all to do a bit of reading today for school.   I had no idea how just how much reading we would do though!


In trying to keep our summer learning as fun as possible I also try to keep reading fun.  A few ways I manage to keep our summer reading fun is to:

  • Allow the boys to choose all our books
  • Pick books on topics that they are highly interested in
  • Read aloud together
  • Use picture books; even with my older boys!
  • Read books about summer topics- vacation, the beach, ice cream, etc.
  • Have a day or two where they only have to read; no math, no science, nothing but just reading fun.
  • Allow them to watch movies about the books we're reading.  (Today we watched Harry Potter the Prisoner of Azkaban) 

Alec was just a few chapters away from finishing up From Texas With Love and while he sat and read that I had Evan re-read three of his old books.


I picked a level A, B and C for him, hoping he'd remember these books/ stories with little to no difficulty.  He was reluctant to read but did a really good job with the books I had picked out.  I would have let him pick them out but he really didn't seem to care one way or the other today.  I then picked a few books off his pile to read to him and so we took turns with him reading one book, then me, then him, etc.  We read Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus (AGAIN!), Penguin's Hidden Talent,& Lion Vs. Rabbit





When Evan and I were done reading I read a chapter of Mission Unstoppable with Ian.



He still hates reading books with lots of words in them so we take turns reading pages in the chapters so that he still gets lots of practice but gets to take frequent brakes.  The more we read together and I get to hear him read out loud the more comfortable I get with him deciding to only read picture books.

I can't believe how much his reading has grown and developed these past few years of homeschooling!  I don't often see him reading and when I do it's typically a book I think is way beneath his level so I always wondered how/if he's working on reading skills but he had to have been.

 He reads so much more fluently, goes back to re-read when things don't make sense, figures out longer, more complicated words much easier than he used to, and in general seems to have more confidence and fun with reading.  That makes me so happy! 

While we were reading the mail truck came and we got a package in the mail.  Evan carried it in to me (with the help of Ian, who had jumped up excitedly shouting that he thought his new truck coloring book came in).  We opened the box together and I took out Ian's coloring book, Evan's new math workbook and a Draw Write Now Polar Regions book.

Evan stopped to study many of the pages and I noticed all the pages on shapes and money really seemed to catch his attention. He paused on one of the pages about pyramids and started pointing out the different shapes telling me which ones we had in block form and which ones we were missing.  I told him what the instructions were for the page and he sat right there and pointed out every pyramid-- I told him he had just done his first workbook page.  He looked at me in stunned silence and I pretty sure his look was saying "you mean it's that easy?" 
 
I quickly made lunches and we ate a late lunch.

It was gorgeous outside, but the boys insisted they wanted to eat inside and listen to me read Harry Potter and the prisoner of Azkaban.


Ian was busy coloring in his book and finished an entire page.   I can't remember the last time I've seen Ian excited about coloring.   I think coloring develops important fine motor skills and works much like writing in developing control and movement.  I hope he keeps it up!



After lunch, Alec was busy reading once again.  He had a whole new stack of picture books from the library all about animals.  We had noticed a bunch of beautiful books at the Audubon center last week and I had requested most of them through our library once we got home.  Look at that smile-- He just loves his books! 



Comments

  1. I don't think anyone is ever too old for picture books, lol :0) My twelve year old enjoys picture book biographies.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I still enjoy picture books too. My oldest son has been picking out longer and more meaty picture books too so I think that has really helped.

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