Tag: Read-aloud

Advent Family Read-Alouds

I love all things Christmas – the lights, the music, the food, and the festivities! It is my favorite time of year. And yes, I do start listening to Christmas music before Thanksgiving – I just love it. 🙂

Yesterday was the start of Advent.  The word “advent” stems from the word adventus which means coming or arrival –  referring to Christ coming as a babe in a manger and his eventual coming again. Something which should give us great hope!

Our family has many Christmas traditions, such as decorating the tree, baking, giving gifts, the Jesse tree, etc., but one of our favorites is our Advent read-aloud. We have found a series of books we love. And this year we are reading the 4th and final book in this Advent series.

We started this series in 2015 when our oldest was in 2nd grade. It is always one of the highlights of the season for us and helps to get and keep our hearts focused on the reason for the season.

Note: These books are historical fiction, and like any historical fiction book, the author has done research to give you a good idea of what life was like during that time and includes true facts, but many creative liberties are also taken.

These advent storybooks, all by Arnold Ytreeide, are listed below. The books intertwine with one another which creates an even more interesting storyline.

This blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost to you).

Advent Familiy Read-Alouds

Advent Family Read-Alouds

Jotham’s Journey (available on audiobook too!)

We’ve had this book the longest, and even though we’ve read it a few times as a family, each year I’ll catch my kids re-reading it.

Jotham is a young shepherd boy who gets separated from his family and eventually discovers the Christ child in the stable.

Bartholomew’s Passage

Bartholomew is a young fishermen who gets separated from his family and undergoes many adventures, eventually leading to the stable in Bethlehem.

Tabitha’s Travels 

Tabitha is the daughter of a shepherd and encounters many adventures and in the end finds her way to the manger.

Ishtar’s Odyssey

Ishtar is the son of a Persian wise man and adventures across the desert, following the star to Bethlehem.

How to read through the books:

Ideally, you start the 4th Sunday before Advent and read a section each day. But really, you can modify it to work for your family! Sometimes we have days where we can’t all gather and read at the same time, and so we’ll read two sections the next day.  Sometimes we read it at night and other times during the day.  Each chapter ends as a cliffhanger so the kids are always excited to read more.

The books all have between 150 – 200 pages and the recommended age is 8+. The books can be intense at times, so keep that in mind for sensitive readers.


 

 

 

 

 

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Book Series for Christian Kids

Book Series for Christian Kids

I often get the question, “Do you have any suggestions for Christian book series?” And while I am not aware of ALL that’s available in this genre, I do have some series that have been a hit in our household!

Some of these books are not explicitly Christian, but have strong Christian themes or are heavily influenced by Christian thought.  

This blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost to you).

Four Book Series for Christian Kids

Spirit Flyer Series

These beloved books by John Bibee have been around for many years! The first book of this eight-book series was written in 1983 and is called the Magic Bicycle. Until recently, these books were hard to find. But recently they have gone into print again and you can easily find them on Amazon.  The Spirit Flyer books are full of adventure and Christian allegory. My son LOVED these books. 

Ideal age range: 4th-7th grade     

Growly Series

The Growly Series follows the adventures of a young coming-of-age bear named Growly. They are not specifically “Christian” books but are wholesome, well-written, and will captivate the adventure-seeking reader. There are five books in this series.  The first three books comprise the “Growly Trilogy”.  These include Begin, Widewater, and Morning.  You could also choose to start with either the 4th or 5th book, as stand-alone books.

Ideal age range: 8-12 years

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Green Ember Series

My 11-year-old son is in the middle of reading this series right now and cannot put them down! These books follow the adventures of two young rabbits, Heather and Picket. While not specifically Christian, there are Christian themes throughout the book – friendship, redemption, sacrifice to name a few! This nine-book (and growing!) series is considered to be a favorite among many readers, and lots of families love it as a read-aloud.

Ideal age range: 8+

The Amazing Tales of Max and Liz & Epic Order of the Seven

Jenny L. Cote has masterfully crafted the genre of Christian Historical Fiction.  The first series: ‘The Amazing Tales of Max and Liz’, includes two books and takes you through many of the events that take place in the book of Genesis, from an animal’s point of view. 🙂

Then her next series: ‘Epic Order of the Seven’ continues the journey of Max and Liz – starting with the birth of Christ, and then moving through the New Testament. And following that, their adventures cover the American Revolution (basically starting another series within a series!)  We are anxiously waiting for her next book which is to be released next year in 2022!

This captivating series is perfect for animal lovers AND history buffs! When we are studying history during our morning time, I am often impressed by how much history my son has already learned from these books.

Ideal age range: 10 +

 

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Middle Ages Book List

The Middle Ages span the years from (roughly) 500-1400 AD. It’s the millennium that bridges ancient history with modern history. 

The Middle Ages were characterized by everything from lack of literacy (only a small percentage of people could read or write) to the building of the most magnificent cathedrals and castles, to the writing of the Magna Carta (which initiated the idea that everyone needed to yield to the law, even the king.)

Here is a list of books we read to learn about the Middle Ages, and a few extra that we hope to read the next time around (we do history in cycles, so we will be circling back to the Middle Ages in a few years!)

This blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost to you).
Reference Books

Middle Ages

The Magna Charta by James Daugherty- Written in a narrative style, this book is jam-packed with information about the Magna Carta,  a historic document that influenced government moving forward. My history lover enjoyed this one! However, t’s a bit of a dry read (for a non-history lover.) Good for ages 10+.

A Child’s History of the World by Hillyer.  A great overview of history.

How Should We Then Live? by Francis Schaeffer – This is not specific to the Middle Ages, but includes one chapter devoted to the Middle Ages and I highly recommend reading this book alongside studying history with your kids to give you a better foundation of the history of Western Culture. If you want a broad picture of history from a Christian worldview, this is THE book to read.  It starts with Ancient Rome and moves on to the Middle Ages, Renaissance, Reformation, and beyond.  Considering the times we are living in, I think this book is more relevant than ever. 

Time Traveler  Usborne (this is a family fave!)

Leif the Lucky by Ingri & Edgar D’aulaire – Leif, a Viking who lived in the 900’s , was a Norse explorer (his family was known for settling Greenland.) Exploring was more of a characteristic of the Renaissance but because his life fell during the time of the Middle Ages, I’ve placed this book here.  Great illustrations and good for younger kids.  

Castle and Cathedral – both by David Macaulay

Atlas of World History Also, Usborne!

Usborne Encyclopedia of World History

Look Inside a Castle (Usborne Look Inside) For younger children (not pictured)

Literature:

Middle Ages

Door in the Wall by Marguerite de Angeli – A short novel about a boy who is sent away to become a knight, but he loses use of his legs and therefore dream is squashed. A story of bravery and character.

Trumpeter of Krakow by Eric P. Kelly – This takes place near the end of the middle ages in Poland.  It was a captivating historical fiction story of a famiy who has a great treasure and must keep it hidden for the safety of everyone. It gets into the wrong hands and things take a wild turn.  Gives a good depiction of the danger of living during this time.  

A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park- My daughter read this on her own but enjoyed it.  Takes place in 12th century Korea. 

Crispin: Cross of Lead by Avi – Another book my daughter read on her own.

Adam of the Road by Elizabeth Janet Gray- Newberry Honor Book. Set in 13th century England, this book follows the adventures of a young minstrel boy, Adam. This book stays true to 13th century England.

Beowulf by Michael Morpurgo- An easier take on the classic.  This was perfect for a first run-through of the story.  We highly enjoyed this read.  

The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman (not in picture) – An easy read that will captivate your young learner. Highly fictitious, but fun and still gives a feel for what the middle ages were like.   

Books for Next Time Around

Middle Ages

Hawk and Dove Trilogy by Penelope Wilcock

Pendragon Trilogy by Stephen Lawhead- We tried the first book of this trilogy as an audio read-aloud, and while my husband and daughter enjoyed it, it was too intense for my 10-year-old, so I recommend it for older readers.    

The Black Arrow by Robert Louis Stevenson

Middle Ages Chalk Pastel Art

Middle Ages

My youngest, age 6, enjoyed doing medieval chalk pastel art as his primary way of learning about this time period (there may be one or two Renaissance time period pictures in there too!)  He is definitely a kiddo who learns through activity and this was a great way for him to learn about the Middle Ages in an age-appropriate way.  

Check out my other history book lists!

Ancient Egypt

Ancient Greece

Ancient Rome

 

 

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How We do History – Textbook Free!

If asked as a child what my least favorite subject was, I might have said history. And if I had to describe how I felt about history as a child, I’m sure the words dry, boring, and pointless would have come to mind! (with the exception of the Holocaust which I have always been interested in)  

I actually got my only “C” ever in Western Civilizations in college. 

The material was just so “foreign” to me (seriously no pun intended!)  But truly, though I would PORE over my textbook for the class, the material just would not stick.  It was painful.  Can you relate?

Fast forward to now.  Would you believe history is one of my favorite things to learn about with my kids?  Probably because I’m right in there learning with them, for what feels like the first time!  If you’ve ever been in a Classical Conversations community, they refer to this as “redeeming your education.”

I personally find textbooks dry. Even the best of them. And the homeschool community has some wonderful ones to offer (I’ve not personally used these but have heard great things about them – Notgrass, History Revealed, and Mystery of History come to mind.)  Maybe I will use them someday, but for now, we are enjoying not using a curriculum (and we’re learning lots!)

Here’s how we do history – textbook free!  

History Textbook Free

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We Love Living Books

Reading living books together, especially ones that deal with history has ignited a love for history in me. And there are just so many living books to read! If you need book ideas, two of my favorite books for finding living books are Honey For a Child’s Heart and Books Children Love.  

History Textbook FreeBeautiful Feet Books is also a fabulous place to purchase living books.  They have them categorized by grade level and time in history, and also author sets.  We have a few of their sets and LOVE them.  The D’aulaire set is especially a favorite as the illustrations are phenomenal.History Textbook Free

We also have Genevieve Foster’s Collection which is JAM-PACKED with historical facts (if you have an information lover!) History Textbook Free

Beautiful Feet Books also offer teacher guides, for parents who want that.

So far I have booklists of living books for history for Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, and Ancient Rome.  

We Use Interesting Spine Books

Our main “spine” book is a Child’s History of the World.  It’s written in an engaging way and helps fill in the gaps (that will inevitably be there) and makes sure we don’t miss any big events of history.  We also base our butcher paper timeline on dates from this book.

I love that all of history is on one giant timeline that the kids have created themselves. (If the idea of a giant roll of butcher paper scares you they make blank timeline books – this one is an example.) It really helps them to see how each event is just a snapshot in the big picture of time.  And that history DOES repeat itself.

History Textbook Free
My son retelling us about the Barbarians (in a dramatized voice!) invading Rome after drawing it on the timeline.

There’s something about drawing what you’re learning that really makes it stick in your brain!  And it’s especially wonderful for picture-smart kids!

We also use Usborne books for a spine.  Love Usborne! Our favorites are Time Traveler and The Encyclopedia of World History. History Textbook Free

Incorporating Technology

We’ve been incorporating more technology into our learning this year, especially with history.

Some of our favorite resources include:

History Textbook Free
My 5 year old’s chalk pastel drawing of the Colloseum.
  • Story of the World – I included this with technology since we only use it on audiobook.  We love Jim Weiss as a narrator and save this for the car! (hubby loves it too!)

I wish I could say we incorporate tons of amazing activities, but we don’t.  We HAVE done that at times(check out these awesome Hands-on Activities for Ancient Egypt), but usually, we stick to what I mentioned above.

Incorporate how your children learn when possible!

Since all children have different strengths/smarts, consider their strengths when deciding how to teach and present material.  A picture-smart child would enjoy drawing what they are learning.  A body-smart child might enjoy re-enacting a scene from history.  A music-smart child might connect to the material by listening to music from that time in history.  Etc. etc.  You get the idea!   

I would be remiss if I did not mention that my kiddos LOVE Horrible Histories.  They are a little more “edgy” and filled with tons of facts (that you may or may NOT want to know) but your kids will learn about history from reading them! That can not be disputed. 😉

So that is how we do textbook free history!  As you can see we are very eclectic in our approach.
What is your favorite history resource? 
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Why We Stopped Reading Instruction for Our Son

This post contains affiliate links and purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost to you.) Thank you for your support.

My son was 6 1/2 when we started having some concern over his inability to sound out basic words such as c-a-t and d-o-g.  Truthfully, I was not as worried as my husband, but it begged the question…

Was the answer MORE reading instruction?

To me, that idea was not ideal painful. We had already been reading the same beginner Bob books over and over and were getting NOWHERE.

By that point, I had read enough and heard other homeschool moms say the same thing: Sometimes they just need time.  However, when you’re in the thick of it, you sometimes start to worry.

About a year prior, a friend had introduced me to Carole Joy Seid’s philosophy.  She even lent me Carole Joy Seid’s DVD series to watch.  What Carole had to say made so much sense, but was unlike anything I had heard before.

Homeschool Made SimpleIf you’ve never heard of Carole Joy Seid, she’s a homeschool consultant who has been around a while.  The DVD series of hers that I watched was called Homeschool Made Simple.

And really that is her mission – to make things easier for moms so they can not only survive but SUCCEED.  She has much wisdom to offer, and at that time my husband I agreed that I should pursue a consulting session with her.

Stopped Reading Instruction

Homeschool Advice

Carole gave me lots of wonderful homeschooling advice during that phone call, but one piece of advice really stuck out and helped lay a foundation for my 6 1/2-year-old son.

The piece of advice: Stop the reading instruction and just read aloud to him.

She offered advice as to when to start up again and what to do if he still wasn’t ready when we did try again.

After that call, I had a plan and felt empowered.

Because we had just moved to WI, we still did not know anyone, were not yet part of a co-op (or any activities for that matter), and we had plenty of time to read aloud together.  And that we did.

Shortly after his 7th birthday, something clicked.  And out of nowhere, he was on the turbo track to becoming an amazing reader. Within a month, not only was he reading but he was reading chapter books! I realize that’s not most peoples’ story, but that is his, and I am happy to share in case it might encourage someone else.

Why the decision to stop reading instruction was a gift.

My son, now nine, is not only an amazing reader, but he LOVES to read.  All kinds of things.  Fiction, non-fiction, history, newspapers, anything and EVERYTHING weather, you name it – he’ll read it!

I believe those months of just reading together WITHOUT THE STRESS of being forced to do something his brain was just not ready to do, laid a foundation for a LOVE for reading.  And that is a gift he has for LIFE!

stopping reading instruction
Reading about his favorite topic – WEATHER!

*If you’re feeling overwhelmed by homeschooling and looking for simplicity, Homeschool Made Simple is a great place to start!

Homeschool Made Simple

**The point of this post is not to promote forgoing reading instruction, but rather point out the beauty and power of reading aloud to our youngsters, and also not pushing them before they’re ready!

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5 Barriers to Reading Aloud and How to BUST through them!

Does the idea of reading aloud together as a family sound appealing, but the reality seems like an impossibility?

In our beginning years of homeschooling, reading aloud was something we did only if we got everything else checked off the list. Kind of like stuffing that last not so important box into a moving truck if there’s enough room.

As we’ve come to recognize the many benefits of reading aloud, it has become the core of our homeschool.

It is now the first box that goes into our truck and we’ve weaved it into the culture of our home.

But sometimes even if there’s a will to incorporate more reading aloud it feels as though there is not a way to make it happen.

This blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through these links will result in a small commission for me (at no cost to you!) 

Following are five common barriers to reading aloud and how to break through them:

Barriers to Reading Aloud

Barrier #1) Not enough time in the day

Solution: Read 5-10 minutes when you can.  Squeeze it into pockets of the day.  Tag it onto a meal where everyone is already sitting together.

Barrier #2) Boring for kids

This is a common barrier for us because our daughter can speed read and it can be pain-staking for her to have to listen, as reading aloud takes a lot longer than reading independently.

Solution: Entice them… Bake a treat. Light a candle. Draw them in. Take the concept of poetry teatime and read a fun book instead.

Use ridiculously funny voices (this even gets the hubs to listen in!) Pick a humorous book.

Here are a few entertaining read-aloud books our kids enjoyed (these are all series books): Pippi Longstocking , The Great Brain,  Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library. 

 

 

 

For our all-time FAVORITES, check out this post.

Barrier #3) Kids can’t sit still

Solution: Have them color, paint, draw or play with play-dough or thinking putty while you read.  Let them play legos, wedgits, magnatiles, blocks.  My son LOVES Perler Beads.  Allow them to lie upside down if that helps them focus.  You get the picture.

Let them move around. Many people are better able to listen if their body is moving.  I know of such people because I’m married to one, and a parent to another! 

Barrier #4) Little siblings

Solution: Bring out the crayons, play dough, rice bin, beans, stickers, etc.  Invest in some busy bags., or make your own quiet bins.

If you’re ok with a little TV maybe save the TV for read-aloud time.  I know at our house we don’t do much TV time, but it helps if  we do it at the same time each day and then they know it’s just part of the routine.

Or have a few special activities you only pull out for read-aloud.  Maybe a special toy that can keep their interest.

Barrier #5) You are in survival mode.

Maybe you’ve had a recent health change, or you have crippling fatigue (been there).  There could be a new baby, a death in the family, mental health challenges or other life changes.  Any number of things could cause us to be living in survival mode.

Solution: Audiobooks!  Audiobooks don’t need to be saved for “survival mode” but they are definitely your best option if that’s where you find yourself.

Final Read-Aloud tip:

If you find a book dull, put the book away and try something else.  There are so many books to choose from. Don’t waste your energy on a book you or your children don’t enjoy!


 

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Ancient Greece Book List Grades 3-6

Ancient Greece has been fascinating to study.  We’ve used a variety of books to deepen our knowledge and understanding of this time in history.   A time in history that has contributed to and influenced so many things in our current society.

One of my absolute favorite things about homeschooling is redeeming my own education and getting to dive deep into things that I was only able to “scratch the surface” of during my time in school.

These are the books we used to dive into the world of Ancient Greece.  I gave the suggested age range of grades 3-6 but you know your kids best so don’t feel like you need to be confined to that!

This blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through these links will result in a small commission for me (at no cost to you!) 

Our “spine” books that we use for all of history:

A Child’s History of the World by Hillyer.  A great overview of history.

Story of the World Volume 1 We only do SOTW on audiobook, the kids (and hubs!) just love listening to Jim Weiss.

Other books that cover much of history:

Time Traveler  Usborne (this is one to OWN!)

Atlas of World History Another Usborne book!

Non-Fiction Books

Usborne Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece Usborne yet again 🙂

Horrible Histories: The Groovy Greeks and Rotten Roman’s  Confession – these are bit much for my taste BUT based on fact that my kids love it and are learning a ton in the process, I have it on the list…   I catch my daughter reading and re-reading this one often! I got this one off eBay, not sure why it’s priced so ridiculously high on Amazon!

Archimedes and the Door of Science   We were fascinated by Archimedes and his inventions and creativity!

Ancient Greece by Daniel Cohen – Fabulous illustrations and easy to understand text.

Fiction:

D’aulaire book of Greek Myths   BEAUTIFUL illustrations!

Theras and His Town A great historical fiction novel contrasting the Spartans and Athenians.  Probably the book that surprised us the most.  Despite the slow start it ended up being a favorite!

Aesop’s Fables  Illustrated by Arthur Rackham.

Aesop’s Fables: A Pop-Up Book of Classic Tales  This is a great book to introduce younger kids (though my older kids liked it too!) to Aesop’s fables.  The pop outs are incredible.  

The Wanderings of Odysseus: The Story of the Odyssey  by Rosemary Sutcliff.

Black Ships Before Troy: The Story of the Illiad, also by Rosemary Sutcliff (we actually did not get to this one yet, but is written by the same author as Wanderings of Odysseus)

The Usborne Illustrated Odyssey   Can’t get enough of Usborne! This is a simpler version of the Odyssey and a good book to use to introduce it (The Odyssey) to kids.  

Check out my other history book lists!

Ancient Egypt

Ancient Rome

Middle Ages


 

 

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Read Aloud Book Log 2018-2019

With the 2018-19 school year all done (not that we really ever stop, because the learning is always happening!), I wanted to look back at what we accomplished this last year. Here is our Read Aloud Book Log from 2018-2019.

As you will see, many tied in with our study of ancient history.  These are the books I read aloud with my 9 and 11-year-old.

This blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through these links will result in a small commission for me (at no cost to you!) 

Read Aloud Book Log for 2018-2019

On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness – The first book in the Wingfeather Saga, this book is Andrew Peterson’s first novel, full of fantasy, humor and adventure.  And the character’s have the best names!

Adam & His Kin – Written by Ruth Beechick, Adam & His Kin gives a picture of what life was like from Adam to Abram.  Should be read alongside the book of Genesis.  This book helped us to see Adam, Noah, Abram, etc. as real people.

A Cry From Egypt – One of my daughter’s now favorites!  A Cry From Egypt, which is a Christian Historical Fiction novel, was a crowd pleaser for sure. It helped us to see what it might have been like to be living as a Jew during the time of the ten plagues and the exodus.

Golden Goblet – A book that gives a picture of what it was like to live as a common Egyptian in Ancient Egypt.  Gives a great picture of what Ancient Egyptian culture was like with fantastic detail.  A little slow to start but then it picks up.   This was a favorite of my son’s.

In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson – We read this during the start of baseball season this year.  It’s a sweet story about a Chinese immigrant girl moving to New York.

Adara – Another historical fiction novel (set in the period of the Kings from the Bible).  This one takes place during the time of General Naaman.   This book gave good insight into what life was like during that time.  Kind of slow, but still liked by my kids.

Amon’s Adventure: A Family Story for Easter – We read this the weeks leading up to Easter and it was a favorite!   This book certainly made the time of lent more meaningful for us, and will be read again many times I’m sure!   It helped us reflect on the power and beauty of Jesus’s resurrection.

Jotham’s Journey: A Storybook for Advent – This was our third time reading this one!  We always read to coincide with the advent season.  A powerful little story that always helps us reflect on the meaning of Christmas.

Theras & His Town – This was one was slow to start and we almost stopped reading it.  HOWEVER,  this was perhaps one of the most surprising novels, because we ended up enjoying this one immensely.   And it was especially good for teaching the differences between Athenian and Spartan culture.  A fabulous living book.

Wanderings of Odysseus – Written by Rosemary Sutcliff, this is great retelling of the Odyssey. Still working through (we had to break so we could read Britfield because I’m writing a review for it!)

Britfield – This is the book we are currently reading.  Loving it so far.  Has a historical fiction “feel” but set in modern times.   I’m personally loving the setting of England.   A unique story with a great plot.   This one comes out in August! www.britfield.com

Mysterious Benedict Society – We listened to this one on audiobook.  It’s about 4 smart kids who go on a mysterious mission.  It’s full of codes, puzzles, and intrigue.

Tale of Despereaux – An endearing story about a mouse (who talks!), a rat, a servant, and a princess.

Farmer Boy – The story of Almanzo’s (Laura Ingall’s Wilder’s husband) childhood growing up on a farm.  Has the same feel as the Little House books.  We listened to this one on audiobook.  Great for the whole family!

Anne of Green Gables – Anne is one of my favorite characters and though I love the movie I had never read the book until this year.  We chose to listen on Audiobook.

Crenshaw – This is a story about a family who is going through a difficult time, and a boy and his imaginary friend.  It’s a touching story that my kids really enjoyed.

Wizard of Oz – This was our third time through this classic.  Always a favorite!  We listened to the audiobook version read by Anne Hathaway.

Escape From Mr. Lemoncello’s Library – With a similar feel to Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, this is a fun quirky book that would make a great summer read! If you’re well acquainted with children’s literature, this book is sure to delight as there are so many references to children’s books.

Shiloh – Ok, I’ll admit, the kids listened to this one on their own!  It was a short audiobook we did over just a few car trips.  I remember enjoying this as a child so I thought my kids might like it too.  It’s a moving story about a boy saving a dog.  Phyllis Reynolds Naylor is one of my kids’ favorite authors.

 

Here is a list of our favorite read alouds of all time!

 

 

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Favorite Read Alouds (Mom AND Kid Approved!)

When it comes to read-aloud novels I can think of countless books that are favorites in our family…

And then, there are the favorites of the favorites.

Reading aloud is the spine of our homeschool.  A good majority of our time is spent reading (mostly living books) together.  It is probably my absolute favorite thing about homeschooling.

This blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through these links will result in a small commission for me (at no cost to you!) 

I compiled a list of all the books we have read aloud together during the last few years and then pulled our top 5 from that list.

These are perfect for ages 6-12, or elementary age kids!

And they are all kid AND mom approved!

Drum roll please………. (in no particular order)

1) Caddie Woodlawn

Based on a true story, and set in Wisconsin in the 1860’s, Caddie is a spirited young lady who gets into all sorts of mischief fun.  This is one of the most entertaining historical fiction novels we’ve read.

2) Winnie the Pooh 

Who doesn’t love Pooh?!  We especially loved listening to the audiobook version of this book.  The dramatization was fabulous and piglet’s snorts make us burst into giggles every time.  And the characters have such different personalities.  Winnie the Pooh is a classic!

3) Pippi Longstocking

Okay, so full confession here.  Of this list, this is probably MY least favorite.  But when I asked my kids what their favorite read-aloud books were, Pippi was the first book to come out of their mouths.  And it’s been almost 3 years since we read it!  Obviously, it made an impression!  If you’re not familiar with Pippi, she’s a strong-headed orphan girl who lives alone and loves adventure and crazy antics.   (No wonder the kids loved it!)

4) Little Pilgrim’s Progress

Based on the original Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan, this version is a just a teeny bit easier (translate: RIDICULOUSLY easier) for kids to understand.  The author has simplified the vocabulary and written it in modern English (the original is in Old English!) while still maintaining the same beautiful storyline.  This title is a great read for both children and adults, and a FANTASTIC allegory of the Christian life.

5) Amon’s Adventure and Jotham’s journey

We just love these books by Arnold Ytreeide that take us back to the time when Jesus walked the Earth.  I couldn’t pick just one as we loved BOTH of these.  They have helped us understand what it may have been like to have lived during both the time of Jesus’s birth and death and resurrection.   Not only do these books keep you on the edge of your seat, but they also foster spiritual growth and keep you focused on the meaning of Easter and Christmas.

There are three others in the series that we hope to read soon:

Ishtar’s Odyssey, Tabitha’s Travels, and Bartholomew’s Passage


Honorable Mention: A Cry From Egypt

We read this when we studied Ancient Egypt and my daughter has re-read it several times since and wanted to make sure it made the list.  🙂

All of these books, and many others that weren’t mentioned here come up in conversation often, whether it’s an amusing part of a story we remember together, or something meaningful that we dive into deep discussion about.  I love how books have enriched our family culture.

Do you have a “favorite of favorites” read-aloud?  We’d love to know!

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3 Easy Ways to Cultivate Compassion In Our Kids

How do you make a child more compassionate?

I think compassion comes much easier for some people than others.  For many, it is an innate quality. For instance, I’m naturally compassionate toward the elderly.  I just have a soft spot for them, and always have. I also am a highly sensitive person in general and can’t even watch the news without getting upset.  (I was pretty much a soggy faced mess throughout each of my pregnancies!)

However, until I had a child with developmental delays, another child with anxiety, and another kid who has a will of IRON,  I did not have empathy towards moms in similar situations.   It wasn’t that I didn’t care, it just wasn’t even ON my radar.

But now, you better believe that I feel for that mom who is exhausted from having to cart her kid around to therapy, or for the mom whose child’s anxiety manifests as anger (and always in public), or for the mom at the grocery store whose toddler is having an EPIC meltdown.  I have grown in my empathy for these moms due to MY OWN life experiences.  It has been cultivated in me.

Our kids are young and have limited life experiences.  Some will naturally be a little more compassionate, and some don’t seem to have an ounce of compassion about them.  But there ARE things we can do to cultivate this important quality of compassion in our kids.

Like soil that needs to be tilled for planting, we can provide experiences to till our child’s ability to grow in compassion.

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STORIES

Books have a way of transporting us to other places and also give us windows into the lives of people whose life circumstances are different than our own.  Reading aloud together creates great opportunities for discussion about what life may be like for others different than ourselves, in an unforced, organic way.

Two of our most recent read-aloud books are great examples of this.  We listened to the Audiobook Crenshaw which was about a 5th grade boy whose family was under great financial hardship and was even homeless for a time.  And our most recent read-aloud – In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson, we were introduced to Shirley Temple Wong, a Chinese Immigrant girl who is new to the country and learning a new language and culture.

Since my kids have never been homeless or the new kid in another country, this allowed them to have a small taste of what this might be like.   Both of these books led to great conversations and helped us see things from a unique perspective.

I believe books are a powerful tool to cultivate compassion in our kids.

 

SERVING OPPORTUNITIES

Last week, we had two opportunities to serve others.   We played BINGO at a local Nursing Home and also served some homeless families dinner at our church one night.  I believe serving others is probably the best antidote to selfishness, and another great tool for cultivating compassion.

This one may not be as “easy” to implement depending on the age or temperaments of your kids.  So, if the thought of getting your family out of the house to serve right now seems like an altogether insurmountable task (I get it, I’ve been there!), here are a few other ideas:

  • Write letters to family members that live alone or can’t leave their dwelling.
  • Send letters/care packages to people serving in the military.
  • Make a meal for someone going through a tough time.

Those are just a few ideas, obviously.   Opportunities abound!

CREATE A CULTURE OF COMPASSION IN Your Home

I think the way we view others and talk about them is probably one of the biggest ways to teach our kids compassion.  After all, “more is caught than taught.”

How do we talk about others?  Are we quick to judge, or do we point out that there might be more going on under the surface?

I see this quote occasionally pop on Facebook and I LOVE it:

“Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.”

Acknowledge that we don’t always know what’s going on in people’s lives, and kindness and compassion are always important.

“Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and dearly loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience”  Colossians 3:12

Finally, we can and should remind our kids DAILY of God’s grace to us and His work in us, and extend that same grace to others as well.

 

Would love to hear from you!  What do you with your children to cultivate compassion?  

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