THE GIFT OF READING

It’s October! Time for a new season . . . and who doesn’t love fall? Much of nature reminds us of our lives, and certainly the changing of seasons is a part of life. What changes does the fall season usher in for you and your family?

When I was homeschooling our four children, October was a month that I might describe as “the calm before the storm”. My son played sports year-round, but fall-ball demanded less and resulted in a more relaxed season. Our girls participated in a classical choir, so by November we found ourselves busy with extra practices in preparation for December performances. But October felt settled. After a hot summer in Sacramento, California, we welcomed the cooler days by enjoying hot drinks and baked goods. (My other name was “Mrs. Cookie Monster” . . . no joke! Oh to have a houseful of children so I could bake cookies to my heart’s content.)

During this “settled” month, we enjoyed routine . . . routine that included reading together. In fact, during the years that I homeschooled an “early reader”, instead of mommy reading to her children for naptime, my “early reader” ended up reading to mommy for naptime. I can’t count the number of times I fell asleep as one of my young children read to me. Typically, my nap only lasted for 5-10 min., but the settled pace allowed me to enjoy a catnap nonetheless.

Of course, with a range of ages in the home, older children had their own reading to tackle, but we often enjoyed time for reading aloud altogether. This is a truly magical time for families, but it can also feel burdensome, so let’s consider how to speak life into family read-aloud time.

  •  I won’t worry so much about WHAT we are reading together; I’ll just make an effort to regularly read together with my children.

  •  I’ll be careful not to rush our reading time together. Instead, I’ll let the children engage in the story reading . . . if they wish to.

  •  Together we can enjoy learning new words and meeting new friends.

  •  I’ll allow my children to ponder the “whys” in our story:

    • Why did Susie cry?

    •  Why do you like this story? Or not?

  • Instead of rushing to finish the book, I’ll model quality reading so my children learn how to read well and so my children enjoy our read aloud time together.

  •  WHEN we enter an extra busy season in our lives, I will extend grace to myself if we don’t get to read aloud as often.

    Each family dynamic is unique, so I encourage you to find a time and place that works well for your family to enjoy some read-aloud time: around the dining room table as everyone enjoys mealtime together; on the comfy sectional where each person can sink into the cushions; on mom and dad’s big bed piled high with soft pillows; on a picnic blanket outside enjoying some of those home-baked cookies with milk. Get creative. Your children might even want to plan the setting for read-aloud time. Take pictures to remember the fun, and even the chaos. A little here and a little there; it all adds up to quality family time, experiencing one of the greatest gifts of life: READING!

    Speaking life,
    Kris C. krisspeakslife@gmail.com