Our top 25 read-alouds (ages 5-12)

Written by contributor Sarah Small of SmallWorld at Home

We started reading to our firstborn the day we brought him home. We didn’t start with Pat the Bunny or Goodnight Moon, although those both played an important part in our story time with all our children. We started with a college textbook, Western Civilization. We just wanted him to hear the sound of our voices and to get a feel for language.

Over the years we have read hundreds of books to our three children, from board books to great classics. Reading aloud comes in two forms in our family: as part of school (we have used Sonlight’s literature-based program for the  majority of our years) and before bed.

Beginning at about age 5 with each of our kids, we moved from a diet of picture books and short easy readers to serious chapter books. Don’t worry about your child not “getting” a book that is “meant” for older kids. They will.

Around age 12 or 13 the evening reading aloud ended, followed shortly by the end of our school-time read-alouds. We are down to just one child who gets all of our reading attention now, and we are determined to have lots of reading time together until he, too, prefers his own voice in his head.

Below is a list of our Top 25 favorite family read-alouds. They are in no particular order, except that I listed a few series at the end. Why did these books make the list when dozens of others didn’t quite qualify? These are the books the kids remember with almost a tender fondness and sometimes almost awe. These were books we lived in, the ones that do, indeed, seem like part of our family.
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How to deal with twaddle in your homeschool

Written by Jamie Martin, editor of Simple Homeschool and blogger at Steady Mom

When we begin our homeschooling journey, we so desperately want to do things “right.” We want to use the right materials, books, curricula, and get the “right” results from our little ones.

It was with these thoughts and intentions in mind that I first came across the word “twaddle” — a word I’d never heard before my venture into home education began.

What is twaddle anyway?

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Relaxed Elementary Education (2011 Curriculum Fair)

Written by contributor Renee Tougas of FIMBY

Ages of my children: 12, 10, and 8

Educational Philosophies I pull from: Leadership Education, Literature-Based, Charlotte Mason, Unschooling

When Jamie first proposed this series I thought, “That will be easy to write. We don’t use much.”

Then I saw all the questions from the introductory post and realized I might actually have something useful to say.

A few of your comments jumped out at me:

  • The repeated request to know what has worked and what hasn’t, and why.
  • How to “make your own” curriculum.
  • How to use readily available resources (like the library) and literature as materials for learning.

I can answer these because of our own eclectic and interest-led elementary homeschooling experience.
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Finding Comfort & More in Stories

Written by contributor Jessica Fisher of Life as Mom

As a child, I loved reading. My mom would take us to the library each week where I would select 10-20 books to devour in a matter of days. In my dad’s words, I “always had [my] nose in a book.”

Books were sustenance for my imagination — and the adventures I lived through reading were a welcome respite from the cares of the everyday. Thankfully, I married a reader. And even though he favors theology and other non-fiction while I’ll take a novel any day of the week, we have a family that loves the gift of story and who takes great comfort in books.

For me, it’s not a question of reading ability; it’s a matter of loving a good story. I know the stories that my children love will bring them comfort. And that will draw them to reading.

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5 Thanksgiving Stories to Enjoy this Holiday Season

Written by Jamie Martin, editor of Simple Homeschool and founder of Steady Mom

A note from Jamie: Today I’m launching a new site called Steady Home Deals. It’s a deals blog with a twist–highlighting ways you can spend intentionally that feel good to both your wallet and your conscience. If you’re interested in sustainable spending for families in the real world, I’d love you to stop by for a visit!

Thanksgiving books will be flying off the shelves shortly, which is why I’m publishing this post on the first of the month. Add these titles to your wish list so you can beat the Thanksgiving library rush!

I always appreciate personal book lists and recommendations because in today’s market the amount of choices can leave me feeling overwhelmed. Having a trusted source share ideas helps me narrow down my options and make new book discoveries.

I’ve read many Thanksgiving stories over the years to my three little people; the following five have been my favorites thus far.
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How to Use the Library in Your Homeschool

Written by Simple Homeschool contributor Renee Tougas of FIMBY.

At the start of our family’s homeschool experience I felt uncertain about this journey. I questioned my skills as a mother and teacher, wondered how my children could learn “all they needed to know” at home and how we could possibly afford to give them an excellent education. (I still feel this way somedays).

Around this time I read a strategy for home education that seemed doable for me. I wish I could remember where I read it or who wrote it, but it went something like this:

All you really need to homeschool is love and a library card.

I’ve hung my educational hat on these principles during my kids’ early years.

Love will lead you to seek what’s best for your child and motivate you to find the resources you need. And with a library card and good library system you can provide the books to form the foundation of an excellent education.

Our family uses library resources as the core of our children’s elementary aged curriculum. As such, we have been making weekly treks to our local library for years.

Here are the reasons we’ve done that and how we’ve made it work.

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