How to Prioritize Read Alouds with Kids Every Day!

The last little while, I've been reading Mothering by the Book. It's a beautiful book about one mother's journey in motherhood and the impact reading books has had on her motherhood. I have loved it so far and it's gotten me thinking about my own journey with motherhood and books.

Being a mother is something I always dreamed about being and I feel so grateful to get to live that dream. It can still be so hard sometimes, to measure up to the kind of mother I hope to be and to manage the daily tasks before me. Reading on my own and reading with my own kids has been such a blessing during these last eleven and a half years. Early on in my motherhood, I read about how important read alouds are for kids and implemented systems to make sure I was reading aloud, and as I had more children, I found ways to read more for myself as a mother as well.

Today I want to share how we currently are finding times to read aloud to our kids. I am sharing this in hopes that it might spark ideas for you in your own life, not as a way to make anyone feel guilty. I also want to say that as life has changed, we've read at different times or in different ways to adapt to our current stage of life. We read to our children a lot because it's something both my husband and I very much enjoy, as well as prioritize, but not every family will read this much. Even five minutes of reading aloud a day makes a big difference to kids!

Morning Picture Books

About a month ago, I was realizing that I don't read picture books aloud to Oliver (currently 4) as consistently as I did with his older siblings. When I did read them to him, he loved them, but I usually waited for him to ask. I wanted to remedy this, so I started to pick out two or three picture books from our shelf each morning after I finished nursing and drinking my protien hot chocolate to read to him. My 7-year-old daughter always sits and reads with us as well, and often Leah (who just turned one) wants to as well. It only takes a few minutes, but we all have come to love this time together. Yesterday we read The Pout Pout Fish,

Homeschool Read Alouds

One of my favorite things about homeschooling is the extra time it gives us to read together. Part of our group study together has always included reading. We read magazine articles, nonfiction books on the topic we're currently studying, picture books, and a longer book (like a chapter book or novel). I like to save books with pictures, like chapter books, graphic novels, or illustrated novels, because it's easier to show all the kids the pictures when we're at the table or couch, rather than when they are all in bed at night. Right now, we're currently making our way through The Secret Garden and loving it.

Leah's Board Books

Each time I put Leah down for bed (right now she has two naps and bedtime), I read her one or two board books. I have done this with every child and I love the consistency it brings as well as the way we both look forward to reading together as a part of our daily routine. Her favorites right now are Dear Zoo, Moo Baa La La La, and Ten Tiny Toes.

Oliver's Chapter Book

Each night after scriptures and prayer, while I'm putting Leah down to bed, Ben reads to Oliver out of a chapter book or graphic novel of his choice. The girls often gather around behind and listen as well. This system started when Ben was putting Oliver to bed in his own room, but now that he shares with his sisters, we have loved keeping it. Two of his favorites are The Princess in Black series and Magic Tree House Graphic Novels.

Novel Reading at Bedtime

After Leah is in bed and Ben is downstairs, I read a novel aloud to the four oldest kids. I often pick novels that the oldest ones will enjoy and let the younger ones get what they will from it (or look at picture books on their own). We read a wide variety of books, from The Rithmatist to Sammy Keyes to Heidi to A Place to Hang the Moon. My only requirement is that I am enjoying the book as well as the kids. Right now, we're reading Charlotte's Web at Oliver's request, and next up we'll continue in the Little House series with On the Banks of Plum Creek.

Family Audiobook

We are always in the middle of an audiobook together (right now, we're listening to Harry Potter 4). We listen in the car, whether it is going uptown or going on a long car trip, and we sometimes listen during free time while the kids color at the table. Ben doesn't have to be with us to listen, but I try to make sure the kids are all there. Right now, Ashtyn hasn't minded if we listen without her sometimes as she has already read the Harry Potter books multiple times on her own.

Kids' Opportunities to Read

I am a big believer in giving kids lots of opportunities to read as well. One of the biggest things we do is give them a chance to read at bedtime. We put the kids to bed around 8:30, but then the older kids get to stay up until 9 reading if they would like to. I also give them plenty of free time during the day—I often see my kids reading on their own in the mornings before breakfast or in the afternoon when we're done with school. The most common time to find all the kids reading is right after we get home from the library. Our two oldest have kindles and headphones, with both eBooks and audiobooks, that they read on often and our third is ready for one this summer.

Silent Reading as a Family

I want to be more consistent with family silent reading. We all gather in the living with a physical book (or our Kindle) and read silently to ourselves. I love to add a little treat (usually it's something like a box of Good and Plenties that I divide between all my kids). I include my husband and my four year old, who can't read yet, looks at picture books. Our baby obviously just toddles around doing her own thing. We used to do it often, but fell off for awhile and I am wanting to implement it more often again.

Those are the times that work the best for our family right now. The most important thing is to find a time that works for your situation and stage of life! When I had a new baby, I often read aloud while nursing and we utilized audiobooks way more often. When we had just one child, I mostly just read to her before bedtime and naps, but we would spend a lot longer reading then. When we had two tinies, I would read in the evenings in order to survive until bedtime. I remember walking my fourth baby around and around the table while the older kids were coloring, awkwardly holding a book to read aloud, because he wanted to be walked and I wanted to read.

Bedtime is a time that has always worked for our family for reading, but I know many mothers who are too tired then. Don't feel like you need to do something just because it works for someone else! We've never done this, but I've heard of many families who read aloud during or after breakfast or dinner. Some moms read aloud on car trips instead of using audiobooks (that would make me so car sick, but it works for them!). It doesn't matter when you do it, or even that you are one hundred percent consistent at that time. The most important part is that reading aloud is happening often, in a way everyone in the family is enjoying.